Prison Blues
by RubinAmigo
Summary: AU Dean only has a few more months left in prison when he gets a new cellmate. Castiel claims to be innocent and Dean believes and helps him. A few months later it's Cas' turn to help Dean. Destiel, rated M to be safe
1. Chapter 1

**I had this idea for a while and today I had a lot of time to kill so I started writing and this is what happened. I even used a word in here that I learned while studying for the GRE. Never thought that would happen.**

**Anyhow, I hope you enjoy reading this.**

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><p>He was watching the new inmates arrive, quickly assessing them and finding out who might be a trouble maker and who would fit in well. New arrivals were always a nice change in his boring every day routine. Making assumptions about their personalities was fun and he was almost always right. He was good at reading people and most of the people who came here were thugs and looked the part, but one of the newbies was different.<p>

That one won't have it easy, he thought as the last of the new inmates passed him. He looked intimidated and just a little too pretty with his dark, tousled hair and stunning blue eyes, which caught Dean's for a moment, before he was pushed further along the corridor.

The bell rang then, telling everyone to go back to their cells. The show was over now anyway, so Dean quickly made his way back to the cell he currently wasn't sharing with anyone. That would probably change today and he wondered who his new cellmate would be.

He didn't have to wait long. The new inmates had apparently been processed quickly this time and soon a guard was leading someone towards Dean's cell and opened the door. Dean looked up to see the man with the intense blue eyes he had noticed earlier standing in the door, taking a tentative step inside the cell, just enough for the guard to close and lock the door behind him.

The man remained standing there by the door, not daring to look at Dean, apparently terrified of him and the entire situation. Dean decided that he had to make the first move here. He didn't mean the man any harm. He was hoping for his parole to be granted any time now and he couldn't afford any trouble.

Usually he didn't have to worry about getting in trouble because his fellow inmates had soon realized that Dean Winchester wasn't a push-over and would fight back if he had to. And usually he won those fights. But he was fair and mostly just wanted to be left alone and the others respected him and let him be. It was easier for all of them.

"Hey, I'm Dean," he said, giving the new guy an encouraging smile.

"Castiel," the guy answered quietly but with a voice much lower and more gravelly than Dean would have expected.

"I sleep up here," Dean told him, pointing to the neatly made top bed, "so yours will be the bottom bunk."

Castiel nodded and finally moved, depositing his pile of sheets and personal belongings, which he'd been clutching to his chest so far, on the mattress. He started to put his personal things away and Dean quickly cleared some space on the few shelves they had available.

"So, what did you do to land in here?" Dean asked, thinking that his new cellmate looked more like an accountant than a criminal.

"Nothing," came the quiet reply.

"Yeah. Never heard that before," Dean sighed, rolling his eyes. "What were you charged with then?"

"Embezzlement. But I was framed by my boss," Castiel told him, looking directly at Dean for the first time since he had entered the cell. And just from the look in his eyes Dean could tell that this man was telling the truth. He didn't deserve to be here and in that moment he decided to protect Castiel from all the evil things that could happen to a good man in prison.

"What about you?" Castiel asked now. "What did you do to end up here?" He was getting bolder now that it seemed clear that Dean wasn't going to beat him up or worse.

"Armed robbery," Dean replied. "I did it for my baby brother. He was sick and we couldn't afford to see a doctor, so I held up a convenience store. The gun wasn't even loaded. I didn't want to risk hurting anyone by accident. Turned myself in as soon as Sammy was better," he elaborated, while at the same time wondering why he felt the need to explain himself.

Outside of court he had never told anyone the whole story, yet somehow he felt that this guy, Castiel, deserved to know the truth. He wanted him to know the truth and understand why he had done it.

Castiel nodded. "I'm sure it was a hard choice to make. The robbery I mean."

Dean gave a curt nod.

"Does he visit you often? Your brother?"

"No," Dean replied, sadness creeping into his voice and eyes. "He was upset that I turned myself in and left him. Said I could have gotten away with it." He missed his brother. But the ungrateful bastard had turned his back on him when Dean had decided to do the right thing.

"What about you?" he asked after a moment. "Is anyone going to be visiting you?" A man like that surely had a sweet wife and at least two adorable kids waiting for him on the outside.

"My sister Anna. She's my lawyer and she's trying to find some evidence that will exonerate me."

"I hope she can," Dean said and meant it.

"If she can't, then no one can. She's the best," Castiel answered, the love and admiration for his sister evident in his eyes. "But it's not gonna be easy. My wife had an affair with my boss and helped him frame me. And now she's using my conviction as a reason for a divorce. Not that I'd want to stay married to her after what she did," he added, clearly feeling betrayed.

"I hope your sister finds something," Dean told him sincerely and Castiel gave him a shy smile. The first smile probably since his world had come crashing down around him.

Just when Dean was trying to figure out what to say to change the subject to something happier and cheer up his new cellmate some more, their door was opened again and two guards stood there.

"Novak, time to shower. I'll show you the way," the first said and Castiel grabbed his towel and left with him.

"Winchester, the director wants to see you," the second guard said. "You can shower afterwards."

And Dean, knowing that this was about his parole, had no choice but to follow the guard and hope Castiel would be okay on his own.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all for the awesome response the first chapter got. You guys are amazing and I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you did the first.**

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><p>Dean had been right about the reason why the director wanted to see him. Dean was a model prisoner and the director had wanted to give him the good news personally.<p>

"Your parole has been granted. It will start in three months from today," he told Dean who smiled a little at the prospect of getting out so soon. "But…," the director continued and Dean's head shot up to look at him, worried that something had gone wrong after all. "…since you have exhibited such good behavior, I can give you some time off for that, which means you'll be leaving in six weeks already."

"Thank you, Sir," Dean answered, feeling positively ecstatic about the good news. He'd been in prison for a year now and couldn't wait to get out again. A year had been the minimum sentence before he had been eligible for parole. A few weeks ago he had met with the parole board and gone through all the interviews and assessments and he'd had the feeling that everything had gone well. Now he was being released in only six weeks and not another year like the original sentence had stated.

He felt happier as he ever had since his Dad had left him and Sam to fend for themselves a few years ago. It had been a hard time. He had just finished school and started college and Sam had still been in school. Dean had immediately dropped out of college and found a job to somehow support them and get Sam through school. They had never had enough money but with a few extra jobs now and then they had survived.

But then Sam had gotten sick. His fever had kept on rising no matter what Dean had tried and since he'd missed work for a few days to be with Sam he had lost his job. Eventually Sam had gotten so bad that Dean was afraid for his life and without a job and without insurance he hadn't know how to help himself other than stealing the money he needed to get the right treatment for his baby brother. So with the old handgun his Dad had left behind, he had gone and robbed a store and then he'd taken Sam to a hospital.

Sam had stayed in the hospital for almost a week and Dean had never left his side. When Sam was better Dean had swallowed his pride and asked an old family friend, Bobby Singer, for help. Bobby had immediately agreed to take the brothers in but Dean hadn't been able to live with the guilt of having scared the poor cashier, he had robbed, half to death. He had tried talking to Sam about it but Sam had been outraged at the thought of Dean leaving him and had tried to convince him to stay. Dean had tried but he couldn't. He'd had to make things right and after writing a letter to Sam, again explaining his motives, he had gone to the next police station and turned himself in.

He hadn't seen Sam again. Bobby had come to every one of his court dates but Sam hadn't. Bobby had said that Sam just needed time and Dean had been patient but it was over a year now and he still hadn't heard from his brother. Now he wasn't sure if he even wanted to anymore.

But for the moment he pushed the thought away. It made him sad and today was a day to be happy. He was being released very soon and if he could, he would have celebrated but that was of course hard to do in a cell. So for now he settled on getting his soap and towel from his cell and then quickly go take a shower as long as there was still time to do so.

The changing room was empty. As there were only about ten minutes left to take a shower, all the other inmates from this wing were apparently done and were now spending the free hour they got before lockup, with card games or watching TV. Dean didn't mind. He preferred being alone. Showering with all those guys was always an awkward experience, so being late wasn't bad at all, even if he didn't much time left anymore.

He quickly took off his clothes and went into the steam filled room with the communal showers. He stopped right by the first shower head and turned on the water, when he heard a noise from the far side of the room. He had noticed that one shower was still running but sometimes someone just forgot to turn them off or the controls broke, so he hadn't paid any attention to that yet, wanting to wash himself first.

But what he had heard had been a whimper, which meant someone was still there. He gave the hot spray falling from the shower head a longing look, then sighed and turned the water off. He had to check who was in the room with him first and make sure they were okay.

The steam thinned the closer he got and he noticed a dark haired man lying on the floor, curled up in a fetal position and facing the wall. Water was beating down on him and he shivered. Dean checked the controls and saw that they had been turned to ice-cold. Quickly he shut it off and then crouched down to see who was lying there.

"Castiel?" he asked when he finally caught a glimpse of the man's face. He carefully touched the man's shoulder, trying to turn him towards him a bit but the other flinched away from the touch and Dean removed his hand again.

"Castiel. Cas, it's me, Dean. I won't hurt you," he told the terrified man and only now noticed the traces of blood on the floor that hadn't been washed away by the water. No wonder the guy was afraid. Whatever had happened, it hadn't been pretty.

"Dean?" came the broken question and Castiel finally turned his head to look up at Dean.

"Yes, Castiel. I'm here. What happened?"

"I don't know. They just hurt me for no reason. I didn't do anything," Castiel replied looking utterly lost and shocked, not only from the physical abuse but also by the fact that people would just do something like that to others for no reason.

"I know you didn't," Dean told him softly. Other than looking too pretty and too innocent and too much everything the other inmates would never be, he added silently. "How bad is it? Can you get up?"

Castiel nodded slowly and with Dean's help he got to his feet. They carefully walked back to the changing room where Dean found Castiel's clothes and helped him get dry and get dressed before making him sit down while he got dressed himself.

"Do you need to see a nurse?" Dean asked, looking at the bruises already starting to form on Castiel's face. And the way he was sitting and holding his chest suggested that he might have broken a rib.

"Yes, I think I should," he answered and winced when he tried to get up. Dean took a hold of his arm and steadied him and they slowly made their way to the medical ward.

Dean left Castiel there, knowing from experience that the nurses would take good care of him and returned to their shared cell. He didn't feel like spending time with his fellow inmates, even though usually he enjoyed a good game of cards. But today he didn't trust himself around them, not after what they had done to Castiel.


	3. Chapter 3

**It has been brought to my attention that I use to many commas. Honestly, I'm not surprised. Anyway, English is not my native language and if commas are the only problem with the story then, well, deal with it (you know who you are) ;D (Btw, CastielandMexx's 'Just trying to help' is worth reading)  
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**In order for this to be updated today I had to let it end with a cliffhanger but I promise to try hard to get the next chapter done very quickly. Hope you enjoy.**

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><p>It was late when Castiel returned to the cell, almost time for the lights to be switched off. Dean had been reading all night, his back sinking into his pillow, which he had propped up against the wall. In prison he had discovered that he loved books, well certain books like the ones by H.P. Lovecraft, and he always read a little before lights-out. Before prison he had never really had the time to sit down and read and this was an aspect of prison life that made being locked up a little easier.<p>

He was now reading 'The Call of Cthulhu' in a book with several short-stories, when the door to his cell was opened and Castiel stepped through. Dean marked the page he'd been reading and put the book down. Castiel was more important now than Professor Angell.

"What did the nurse say?" Dean asked as Castiel sat down on his bed and took off his shoes and socks.

"Nothing's broken. Just a few bruises. She gave me some ice for my eye and checked my ribs and then said I could go back to the cell for the night," he told Dean and groaned when he moved to lie down on the mattress. "Still hurts though," he muttered quietly.

"I'm sorry," Dean said just as quietly. "I should have been there."

"This isn't your fault, Dean. And I don't think you could have done anything," Castiel told him.

"Why would you say that? I would have told them to back off. People here know better than to mess with me," Dean answered a little hotly because Castiel had questioned his ability to protect him.

"I don't know. This guy, they called him Lucifer but I don't know if that is really his name. Fits though. Anyway, he'd been giving me these scary looks on the bus ride here already. I think he was dead set on beating me up before we even arrived," Castiel explained. "Maybe even worse," he added, so quietly that Dean could hardly make the words out.

The bell rang then, telling them they had only ten minutes left before the lights went out and Dean jumped down from his bed to put the book back on a shelve and brush his teeth. He turned to look at the man lying on the bottom bed with his eyes closed, one arm resting across his forehead as if he was trying to soothe a headache, the other hand clutching the blanket tightly as he probably relived what had happened to him in the shower.

"Just stick close to me as much as you can. I'll keep you safe," Dean told him. He meant it, too. He felt terrible that he hadn't been able to be there to protect Castiel in the shower and he was relieved to hear that he had been 'only' beaten up.

"I don't want you to have to fight my fights for me," Castiel protested weakly but Dean wasn't having any of that.

"Why not? I'm good at that. I had to learn it from an early age to protect Sammy from our Dad. He was a violent drunk," Dean explained, bitterness lacing his tone when he talked about his Dad.

"I'm sorry," Castiel whispered and gratefully accepted the wet washcloth Dean handed him, covering his forehead and eyes with it to ease the pounding in his head and the throbbing from the black eye.

"Nah, it's okay. Once I really stood up to him he stopped and got into bar fights instead. Bullies respond to strength, you know? Once people know I'm looking out for you they'll leave you alone."

"Thanks, Dean. I appreciate that. But for how long?" Castiel asked, sounding a little uncertain.

"Oh, uhm, six more weeks. My parole was granted today," Dean admitted meekly. He hadn't even thought about that problem. "We'll figure something out. And we trust your sister to get you out of here as soon as possible," he told Castiel, sounding more confident than he really felt. But a positive attitude would help the most right now he thought, as he climbed back up to his bed and the lights went out in their wing.

"I'm looking at five years, if Anna doesn't find anything," Castiel said, more to himself than to Dean. "Five years of that…. I don't think I can survive that. If the guard hadn't come in when he did, Lucifer would have…."

He didn't finish the sentence but Dean knew what he had started to say. If the guard hadn't come in, Lucifer would have raped him. "Son of a bitch," Dean said softly. He could only hope that Anna would be able to help her brother.

"Why didn't the guard help you?" he asked after a moment of silence.

"I don't think he saw me back there. He heard the commotion and thought there was a fight. He came in and told them to break it up and they stopped. I was already lying on the floor," Castiel explained and groaned again as he tried to turn over to find a comfortable sleeping position.

Dean remembered that he hadn't been able to see anything through the steam, so Castiel's explanation was probably accurate. It had just been a shitload of bad luck for him. Neither of them said anything for a while and eventually Dean decided he should try to sleep.

"Goodnight, Castiel," he whispered, in case his cellmate was already asleep.

"Goodnight, Dean," came immediately the whispered response. "And…you can call me Cas," he added and closed his eyes.

"Goodnight, Cas," Dean said and then closed his eyes as well and fell asleep soon after.

The next morning Cas looked terrible. His eye was almost swollen shut despite all the cooling from the day before and his bruised ribs had prevented him from getting much sleep. He looked tired and couldn't move very well, so now he was really grateful for Dean's offer of protection because he wouldn't even be able to run away and hide if someone approached him with questionable intentions.

He stuck close to Dean and Dean helped him where he could, showed him around and explained to him what he needed to know about life in prison. They went to breakfast together and found a table that was set aside from the rest of the tables, so they could keep away from the thugs who had beaten Castiel the night before.

This strategy worked well for them and they got through breakfast without any incidents. But when they left to get back to their cell before Dean had to show up at his job in the prison's garage and Cas had to go to get assigned for a job, a few people suddenly got up and blocked their way out of the cafeteria.

Their leader, a big, beefy guy with mean little eyes stepped forward and faced Dean, who was now shielding Cas with his body. This was probably the one who had attacked him in the shower. No wonder Cas had been so scared, it was a scary dude.

"You must be the one they call Lucifer," Dean said. He had only seen this guy before when the new inmates had arrived, so it was a pretty good guess that this was Lucifer.

"Yes," the other man, who stood almost a foot taller than Dean, answered calmly. "And you must be Dean Winchester. "I have no beef with you. Now step aside and let me have the pretty boy."

Dean could feel Cas tense behind him. The fear that was radiating off of him was almost tangible. Dean didn't want to start a fight with this mountain of a man but there was no way he was handing Cas over. He had promised to protect him and he kept his promises.

"No," he said firmly, looking right into Lucifer's cold, gray eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

**I've been updating this story much more frequently than I thought I would. I hope I can keep it up. So far all the reviews, favs and alerts have been highly motivating, so thank you all for that and you what to do to make me write faster ;)**

**This chapter is a bit longer, 'cause I wanted it to be a little more than just the face-off between Dean and Lucifer. I hope you enjoy :)**

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><p>"Hand over the pretty boy," Lucifer growled again, slowly and menacingly advancing on Dean.<p>

"No. If you want him, you'll have to go through me," Dean answered calmly, standing his ground.

Lucifer just gave him an evil grin. "Oh, I will if I have to. You see, I need a pet. And he will just look so pretty with his mouth around my cock."

Dean could feel Cas starting to tremble when he grabbed the back of Dean's shirt for support. "Not gonna happen," Dean said and reached behind him to pry Cas' fingers loose. When Cas finally let go, Dean pushed him a step further away from Lucifer and readied himself for the fight that was sure to follow now.

As Lucifer and Dean stood facing each other a few people got up to stand behind Lucifer, making it clear they'd help him and ensure his victory. They were mostly new inmates who had immediately realized that it was safer to be Lucifer's supporter than his enemy. A few of the men now standing there were some Dean already knew. They were the ones who had tried to make him their bitch when he had been new and they had come to regret those attempts. Now they were practically gloating at the very real possibility of watching Dean Winchester getting his ass kicked.

But just as Dean gulped and thought that maybe he wouldn't get out of this situation unscathed, he could hear chairs scraping over the cracked linoleum and the shuffling of several pairs of feet, not just Cas' retreating steps. He turned his head briefly to see a crowd standing behind himself that was larger than the crowd backing up Lucifer. Apparently it paid off to be fair, Dean thought and smiled to himself as he turned back to face Lucifer.

Dean had barely enough time to duck because Lucifer had used his short moment of distraction to attack. "Fuck," Dean muttered. That had been close and he now paid better attention.

Luckily Lucifer relied on his size and strength rather than on technique and he telegraphed his punches so Dean had not much trouble getting out of the way. He was bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet, easily sidestepping Lucifer's bone shattering blows, learning his opponent's style and pattern of attack.

He was taking his time and from the side of Lucifer's supporters whistles and catcalls could be heard but Dean ignored them. He needed to place his own punches well if he wanted to knock out Lucifer with minimal damage to himself. Finally he fought back, catching Lucifer in the side of his lower back, just about where his kidney should be, with one fist and under the jaw with the other.

It should have knocked him out or the pain should at least have slowed him down. But that didn't happen. At least not right away and Lucifer seized his chance of having Dean close enough to actually hit him and when Dean saw Lucifer's fist swinging towards him he didn't have enough time to get out of the way anymore. He just turned his head to somewhat lessen the force of the impact but it was still enough to send him to the floor.

It hurt like hell and he was lucky not to pass out and also lucky that Lucifer now seemed so sure of himself that he waited until Dean got up again. Dean was thankful for that little break as he shook his head to clear his vision. He was sure that usually it wasn't beneath that man to kick someone who was already down.

Slowly Dean got back up to his feet, slower than necessary really but he wanted Lucifer to believe that he was in bad shape now and for that reason he swayed a little when he was upright again. He slowly advanced on Lucifer, who was now certain to have already won, and carefully placed his next blows, hitting his opponent's solar plexus as hard as he could, finally getting a reaction as Lucifer's breath rushed out in a surprised gasp of pain.

Dean quickly followed that punch with another one to the side of Lucifer's head, aiming for his temple. He hit hard again. Not hard enough to do any real damage but still with enough force to knock him out and finally the giant crashed to the ground, unconscious.

Dean bent forwards, resting his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath and waited for the pain in his side to ease where Lucifer had managed to hit him right before Dean had knocked him out. Lucifer's supporters had quickly scattered, now that their leader was defeated and the man who had done it had a cheering crowd behind him.

Cas quickly came forward now, putting a hand on Dean's shoulder and gently helping him into an upright position, ignoring his own aching ribs for the moment.

"Thank you, Dean," he whispered and winced slightly when Dean leaned heavily onto his shoulder.

At that moment the guards finally entered the cafeteria, armed with batons, which were no longer necessary. The fight hadn't really lasted very long, although it had felt like a long time to Dean. Two guards came to either side of Dean and Cas and led them away, while the rest of them struggled with the still unconscious Lucifer, trying to somehow move him to the medical ward for the moment.

Sitting in the director's office Dean and Castiel both waited a little nervously for the director to finish his talk with the guard, who probably filled him in about the events in the cafeteria. Finally the quiet conversation stopped and the director returned to them and sat down behind his desk with a stern look on his face.

"Mr. Winchester," he sighed and Dean hung his head a little. That didn't sound good. "Tom told me about what happened," the director continued, referring to the guard he had just spoken with. "He saw the whole thing. I know you did it to help Mr. Novak but..."

"But it's not a good idea to get into a fight when your parole has just been granted," Dean finished, sounding resigned.

Cas looked at him then and when Dean felt his gaze on him he turned to look into those deep blue eyes, which clearly said how sorry he was for everything that had happened. Dean just shook his head slightly and gave Cas a small sad smile, telling him it wasn't his fault.

"I'm not going to take your parole away from you," the director interrupted their silent conversation and Dean looked up at him, "but I can't let you have your 'good time off' anymore."

"I understand," Dean answered, relieved that his parole wasn't in danger. He could live with an extra six weeks in prison.

"I know what your motives were and I wouldn't punish you at all if I could but I have to set an example to the other inmates to prevent more fighting. Therefore you and Mr. Novak will spend your free time locked up in your cell for one week. It is also for your safety," the director told them, looking directly at Cas during the last part.

Cas nodded. "Thank you," he quietly said, feeling better knowing that he wouldn't have to face Lucifer's supporters for another week. They were probably out for his blood now and it scared him.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" the director asked Castiel who nodded again. The director seemed to be a good man and Cas felt that he could trust him.

"In the shower yesterday Lucifer told me that he had chosen me as his. As his pet to be exact and that he wanted me to bend over and..." Cas stopped for a second and swallowed hard. "I said no and he told me he'd teach me to defy him and then he and his friends started beating me until a guard came in to tell them to stop fighting. The guard didn't see me. I was already on the ground and that's how Dean found me. And then this morning Lucifer tried again to get me but Dean wouldn't let him."

"Yes, Mr. Miller is bad news," the director agreed gravely.

"Mr. Miller?" Dean asked.

"Yes. The man who calls himself Lucifer. Apparently the name Nicholas Miller is too tame for him," the director explained.

"He shouldn't be here at all. He's a freakin' sociopath and belongs with the heavy-weights," Dean told the director who only nodded, knowing full well that a low-level security prison wasn't the right place for that particular kind of criminal.

"You're right. He has a history of violence and of raping weaker inmates at other institutions. But he has only been convicted of grand theft auto this time and nobody was hurt. So until he really crosses a line in here, we're stuck with him."

"Until he kills someone you mean," Dean guessed and the sad and helpless look on the director's face confirmed his suspicion.

After this the conversation was over quickly, the director telling Dean to get to work or see the nurse if he so needed, which Dean declined, and informing Cas that he had been assigned to kitchen duty. "You should be save there," he added and Cas thanked him for that choice.

Before he left the office Dean turned around once more. "What happens with Lucifer now?" he asked.

"He will spend two days in isolation and then go back to his regular cell. That's another reason why I want the two of you in your cell during free time for a week. Give him a few days to cool off," the director explained and then reached for his phone, clearly indicating to Dean and Cas that they were now dismissed.

Dean doubted that a few days would be enough for Lucifer to cool down but it was all the director could do for them right now and he and Cas carefully walked along the hallway, supporting each other on their way to work.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for all the feedback :D Enjoy the next chapter.**

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><p>Dean dropped Cas off at the kitchen and then went on to the garage for his own work. His side really hurt like a bitch now but he couldn't take the day off and play sick. First of all he couldn't show any weakness or Lucifer's supporters would be sure to take advantage of him, if they thought they could. And second, he needed what little money this prison job made him for the start of a new life when he got out. The more money he saved now the easier life outside would be. So he gritted his teeth and went to work.<p>

He saw Cas briefly during lunch but he was handing out food so they didn't get a chance to talk. But he seemed fine and even smiled at Dean and gave him an extra large scoop of spaghetti sauce with lots of meatballs when Dean got his lunch.

"Thanks," Dean said casually but stared at Cas for longer than necessary to thank someone for giving you your food. But Cas held his gaze and after a moment Dean had to break their eye contact before someone else did it for them. He gave Cas a wink though before moving on but not without quickly looking back to see Cas look surprised and then shrug before he turned to the next man in line.

Dean carried his tray over to a fairly empty table and sat down at the far end so there was no one sitting directly next to him. Setting down his tray he had to be careful not to wince at the sudden sting in his side and he slowly lowered his body down onto the chair, almost sighing when the pain stopped.

He started to eat, enjoying the extra meatballs Cas had given him. How had he known? The thought of the man brought the memory of bright blue eyes floating into his mind and Dean wondered why the hell he'd winked at Cas. The poor man had enough to deal with already for the moment; Dean really shouldn't flirt with him. Any other time he would have done so immediately but this situation was different. Even though Dean usually preferred women and hadn't been with a man often, he would have ignored all women, had he met Cas in a bar.

But he shouldn't flirt with him now. He hoped he hadn't scared Cas with his wink. It had been a thoughtless, reflexive action. He could probably make up some cock and bull story should Cas bring it up later. But if he didn't Dean would do things the Winchester way and ignore it and pretend nothing ever happened. He liked Cas and his first instinct was to protect him not fuck him. Dean had always protected his little brother from their father and even though Cas looked nothing like his brother and was actually older than him, Dean felt his big brother protectiveness surfacing again with him.

When Dean returned to their cell that evening Cas was already there. They'd been allowed to shower alone so they wouldn't have to face any other inmates which might have led to more fighting. Dean had put on a tough face all day but now that he was back in his cell and only Cas could see him, he sat down heavily on Cas bed, grimacing and holding his side. Working all day hadn't made it any better and the pain had grown continually all day as the bruise developed.

Cas gave him a worried look but didn't say anything. He figured Dean wouldn't really want to talk about it. His own ribs still hurt, too, so he knew exactly how Dean felt. He could return the favor Dean had shown him the night before though and so he wet a washcloth and handed it to Dean who took it with an acknowledging look and pressed it against the bruise on his face.

"Thanks, Cas." It wasn't really cold enough to help a lot but it was the thought that counted and Dean appreciated it.

"You're welcome." Cas sat down on the bed next to Dean, it was his bed after all, and they spent some time sitting there in amicable silence.

Finally, when the cloth wasn't cool anymore, Dean got up, hung it away to dry and then climbed up onto the top bunk. He laid down and tried to relax but when Cas got up to get something from the shelve he realized that he had forgotten to take his book up with him. He turned onto his side and looked over the edge of his bed to Cas, who was holding some sort of diary.

"Hey Cas. Could you hand me that book over there?" Dean asked, since Cas was standing up already.

"This one?" Cas said, holding up the right book and Dean nodded. Before Cas crossed the little room to give Dean the book he looked at it and read the description on the back.

"Uh, horror," he said and shuddered as he handed Dean the book.

"You don't like horror stories?"

"No, I don't. Never have and probably never will," Cas told him.

"But you have watched a scary movie with a girl to make her move closer to you, maybe grab your hand, right?" Dean said, making it sound more like a statement than a question.

"Actually no," Cas answered. "I was afraid I'd be the one looking for hand to squeeze. I didn't want to embarrass myself."

Dean laughed at that admission and Cas grinned and stared directly at Dean's eyes for a moment before he sat down on his bunk and started writing and Dean opened his book to find the place where he had stopped reading the night before.

For about an hour they were quiet, winding down from their day, Cas with writing and Dean with reading. Then their door was opened and a guard came in with another inmate who carried two trays with food and the guard gave a letter to Cas.

"This came from your lawyer today for you," the guard told Cas and then looked at Dean. "Nothing for you, Winchester. Sorry." The guards all knew Dean's story. They knew the stories of all the inmates they worked with. They knew he had done what he'd done for his brother and that he hadn't heard from him since turning himself in. In the beginning he had hoped for a least a letter from Sam and had kept asking the guards if they had a letter for him but they never had. Now he didn't need to ask anymore, they told him on their own.

"You'll be having lunch at the cafeteria still this week but breakfast and supper you'll eat in here," the guard explained the presence of the trays. "We'll pick the dishes up in half an hour."

Then Cas and Dean were alone again and Dean got off his bed to eat while Cas was busy reading his letter. He read slowly and thoroughly and Dean was curious about its contents but he didn't want to ask. He gave Cas the time he needed and started eating. Finally Cas put the letter away and started eating as well, not saying one word about what the letter said.

When they had both finished eating Dean couldn't wait any longer and had to ask. "What was the letter about?" He tried to sound neutral, not knowing whether Cas had been given good or bad news. The guy had kept a completely blank face since he'd read the message and Dean hadn't been able to guess a thing, but from the lack of emotions Dean expected the worst. Cas would probably make a good poker player, Dean thought and at that moment Cas finally started to speak.

"Anna is optimistic that she can get me out. She says she has found a lead and she's following it right now. She didn't want to give me too much information yet but she says she'll visit in a few days when she knows more," Cas told him and chanced a small smile which Dean returned. It had been good news after all.


	6. Chapter 6

**This chapter was a little difficult to write at times but I think it turned out alright. I decided to call Cas' wife Bela instead of Amelia, which usually would have been my first choice. You'll see why. Enjoy the chapter.**

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><p>Their week passed by easily in that pattern. They'd eat in their cell, go to work, meet briefly during lunch, go back to work and then spend the time before the lights went out with talking, reading or, in Castiel's case, writing letters. They got to know each other, learned more about the other's life stories and became friends.<p>

Their routine was only interrupted once, on the day Lucifer got out of isolation. It happened during lunchtime, the only time Dean and Cas got into contact with all the other inmates that week. Cas wasn't even handing out the food that day. He was working in the back, making sure that there was always enough food available up front, so things would run smoothly.

He was just refilling the chocolate pudding for dessert when it happened. It was a rare occasion that the prison kitchen served dessert and all the grown men were excited about this like little kids. All, except Lucifer, who was right at the front of the line. And when he saw Cas behind the counter he let out a roar that sounded hardly human anymore. He dropped his tray and started climbing over the counter to get to Cas.

The poor man had been paralyzed by terror since he'd first seen Lucifer in the line and was still just standing there. He didn't even move when Lucifer deliberately knocked the tub of pudding from his hands, showering him and all people around him with blobs of chocolate pudding. Fortunately for Cas the pudding made the tiled floor very slippery and when Lucifer took another step towards him to grab him, he slipped and hit his head on his way down, knocking himself out.

While the guards were busy with Lucifer, Dean rushed over to Cas, who was still standing in the exact same spot as before, looking completely shell-shocked. Dean had watched the entire incident, but it had all happened so fast that he hadn't had the chance to jump in and help Cas. He was glad that Lucifer had been too stupid to really harm Cas, but the guy looked like he hadn't yet realized that the danger was over.

"Cas, are you okay?" Dean asked, carefully touching Cas' pudding free left shoulder. Cas jumped at the touch and then turned to look at Dean, his eyes wide.

"Hey, Cas. It's over. Lucifer is gone," Dean told him and finally Cas looked around realizing that Dean was right.

"He's gone. He didn't hurt me," Cas repeated in surprise, looking down at himself. "I'm covered in pudding," he added, finally almost sounding normal again and Dean chuckled.

"Yes, you are," Dean agreed and used his finger to wipe some pudding off Cas' cheek and then stuck the finger in his mouth, closing his eyes in bliss at the taste of chocolate. Cas watched him for a moment and then followed suit, licking the specks of pudding off the back of his hands and forearms.

"This is good," he said, when his skin was pudding free again.

Dean nodded. "Yes. And that's the reason why Lucifer just made a bunch of enemies. No one messes with our pudding." His tone sounded still amused when he said this but Cas thought that he could hear a serious note in there as well. It probably wouldn't be bad if Lucifer made some new enemies. Maybe his enemy's enemies could be his friends?

Before he had time to think about this further more guards came into the cafeteria to restore order. Everyone who was covered in pudding was taken away to clean themselves up, while the rest of the inmates had to eat their lunch, sadly without dessert.

"How are you?" Dean asked Cas when he saw him again in their cell later that day.

"Still kind of shaken. Lucifer is back in isolation though. There shouldn't be any trouble for a few more days." He took a shaky breath and Dean had the feeling that something else was up as well.

"That's good. So, what did you do all day? Did you have to go back to working in the kitchen after what happened?"

Dean wanted to know what was wrong but he didn't want to outright ask. Something was clearly bothering Cas even though he tried to hide it. But Dean could tell from the look in his eyes, his posture, the sound of his voice.

Dammit, Dean thought to himself. He couldn't believe how well he already knew this man. He'd only met him a few days ago. But there was something about Cas that called to him, made him want to protect him from all harm and it also made him understand him. He had never felt this with anyone else before, only with his brother but since Sam was family he had never wondered about it.

"We were supposed to go back and clean the floor and everything that got covered in pudding. But Anna came to visit me this afternoon, so I was excused."

"She has excellent timing," Dean grinned and Cas smiled back weakly.

"She needed my signature to be able to follow a lead," he continued and Dean could suddenly hear unshed tears in his voice. What kind of lead could Anna have found to get this reaction from Cas. He was about to ask him some more but Cas started speaking again on his own.

"She needed my permission to exhume Claire's body," he told Dean and a tear slid down his cheek.

Dean handed him a handkerchief, feeling a little uncomfortable and he didn't know what to do with the crying man who was talking about his dead daughter. He had told Dean about her. His beautiful little girl, the pride of him and his wife Bela. But the girl had been sick. She'd been born with a heart problem and had died at the age of four. That had only been a year ago. And now Anna wanted to dig up her body.

"Why would she need that?"

"She thinks that Bela and Zachariah, my boss, already had an affair before we got married. Maybe even before we met. She thinks they planned all this for a long time and when I entered the firm, Bela went out with me and married me, so she and Zachariah'd have someone to take the fall for them eventually. She thinks Claire might not even have been my daughter," Cas explained and now he was really crying.

Dean felt helpless. He wanted to comfort Cas but he didn't know how. He sat down next to him on the bed and hesitantly put his hand on Cas' back, patting it awkwardly. Cas didn't seem to mind. He leaned sideways towards Dean a little, who was wondering whether it would be okay to put his arm around him in this situation.

"I feel like I lived a lie for the past years. Nothing was real," Cas sobbed and suddenly turned his head to hide his face against Dean's shoulder.

When Dean felt the tears wet his shirt he decided he didn't care about etiquette anymore and gently held the man in his arms, like he had held his brother when he had gotten his heart broken for the first time by his girlfriend Rachel.

"I'm sorry you have to go through this. I'm sorry all these things come to the surface now," he softly told Cas who was still crying silently and shaking in his arms.

"I'm sure Anna has a good reason for doing that. She wouldn't put through this ordeal if she didn't think it would help you," he soothed.

"But what…what if she finds out…that Claire…was not my daughter?" Cas asked between sobs and Dean had to fight the urge to hold him even closer and kiss the top of his head.

"Claire was your daughter in every way that counts," he said instead. "No matter what Anna finds out. No DNA test can change the fact that she loved you as her Dad and you loved her. You were there when she started to speak and when she took her first step, not Zachariah. You read her a story at night and gave her a goodnight kiss. You were there to help her when she fell and scraped her knee. You were a father to her every minute of the day and that is what is important."

After his little speech Dean waited a moment for it to sink in and finally Cas stopped crying and moved his head. He sat up again and Dean quickly let his arms fall away from around him.

"You're right," Cas told him, sniveling once more and then taking a deep, steadying breath. "Thank you. Sorry for breaking down like that." He got up and suddenly looked a little bit embarrassed, before quickly turning his back towards Dean to wash his face at the small sink.

"Don't mention it," Dean answered lightly but he was relieved when their door was opened and their food arrived, effectively breaking the sudden awkward tension between them.


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks for all the support and the amazing reviews everyone :D**

**I tried to figure out how the legal system works in a case like Cas' but it's really hard to find and when I do find something I feel like I need legal training to understand it, which I lack. So mostly this is what I think how it should work and what I saw on TV or read in books. And I think in reality things would take much more time than I want for this fic, so I'd make things go why then anyway. Hope you enjoy the chapter.**

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><p>Dean had trouble concentrating on his work today. His thoughts were with Cas, who was in court at the moment. Anna had been right. Claire had really been Zachariah's biological daughter. Cas had been devastated when he'd found out and Dean had spent several hours that night talking to him to try and cheer him up with only little success.<p>

But Anna had also found something else. A signature of Castiel's name on a document used to transfer the stolen money out of the country had been proven to be forged and the expert Anna had found was reasonably sure that Bela had done it. This was enough evidence to reopen and reexamine the case Anna had thought and today they were in court to achieve just that.

Dean had seen Cas right before he had left. He had looked handsome and smart in his nice suit and he'd been carefully optimistic. Dean couldn't wait to see him that evening to hear how things had turned out.

It was just after dinner, which Dean now had together with all the other inmates again, when Cas returned to their cell. Dean was sitting on his bed pretending to read something incredibly interesting to mask the fact that he'd been waiting for Cas to get back. He put down his book after a moment and looked at Cas expectantly but the other man had put on his poker face again. He was staring right back at Dean, showing no emotions at all when their gazes locked.

Finally though, after several seconds of intense staring, Dean thought he saw an amused twinkle in those blue eyes and Cas couldn't hold back any longer and smiled.

"It worked?" Dean asked hopeful and Cas nodded.

Dean jumped down from his bed, landing right in front of Cas, thereby unintentionally invading his personal space. For a few seconds he just stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do, when neither of them moved. He settled on clapping Cas on the shoulder before taking a step back and saying, "Well done."

"I didn't do anything. It was all Anna. She's brilliant. The case has been reopened and trial starts next week," Cas told him, sounding very happy about this.

"That sounds great. Will Anna be able to gather enough information to clear your name by then?"

"She's been given permission by the court to have Bela's personal belongings searched since she forged my signature. She's optimistic that there will be more evidence and even if not she might have already created reasonable doubt. So all things considered it's looking good," Cas told him.

Cas kept talking for a long time that night, telling Dean exactly what had happened at court. Dean didn't mind. This Cas was different from the terrified man he'd met just a little over one week ago. Damn, Anna had been really fast. She really seemed to be a brilliant defense lawyer, Dean thought. Which led him to wonder why Cas had been convicted in the first place. If Anna could dig up such strong evidence in only a little over a week, why hadn't she been able to do so before?

"She didn't defend me the first time," Cas explained when Dean voiced his confusion. "She doesn't live here in Kansas. She lives in New York. I was innocent and never expected to be convicted, so I told her I'd be fine and she shouldn't fly over here for this. I guess she shouldn't have listened to me but I just honestly never expected to end up in prison."

"But now she's here," Dean said matter-of-factly.

"Now she's here," Cas agreed with a soft voice that showed his love for her and touched Dean somewhere deep within. "And she has already found so much. My other lawyer just didn't bother to look beyond the apparent facts and I didn't notice that until it was too late."

"Lazy dick," Dean muttered and Cas laughed. They kept talking for a while about all kinds of things until they both drifted off to sleep.

Two days later Anna visited Cas again and when he returned to the cell a bit later he was so happy, Dean could hardly get him to talk and make sense. Finally, as a last resort he went to the sink and splashed a load of cold water into Cas' face, which made him stop talking for a moment, so Dean could actually get a word in.

"I take it Anna told you something really good, since you're so excited," Dean said and handed Cas a towel so he could dry his face.

"She did," Cas answered, calmer now.

"Would you mind starting at the beginning again? I didn't get a word of what you said earlier," Dean asked and Cas started to blush slightly in embarrassment about his earlier excitement.

"Of course. Sorry. Okay, Anna went through Bela's things and found that she had a safe deposit box I didn't know about. She had it opened and inside was all the evidence she needs. Bela kept track of exactly how much money they stole and when. And where it went, too. It's amazing. There is no way they won't overturn my conviction. They have to, now."

"That sounds great," Dean smiled and couldn't help but get infected with Cas' enthusiasm. He really hoped things would work out well for him and soon. But from what Cas had told him about his former work place Dean was sure that Zachariah's firm had a big and able legal department which would do whatever it took to keep all blame away from the boss and make it stick to Cas. He was confident that Anna was prepared for that but it would be difficult.

The days until Cas' next court date passed quickly and without much trouble. Not that Cas would have noticed any trouble in his still elated state. Not even Lucifer could bring him down anymore. The prospect of possibly getting his name cleared soon was so overwhelming that he wasn't scared anymore. Or maybe he just didn't notice Lucifer at all. Dean thought that this was very well possible because several times Cas had almost run into him.

But, just as Dean had predicted, Lucifer had made many enemies with the pudding affair and Cas was never alone. There were always people around him just waiting for Lucifer to give them an excuse to try and beat him up. And that happened frequently even without Cas being involved. Mostly those encounters ended with Lucifer back in isolation and his opponents in the medical ward.

Cas didn't notice any of those things. When Dean told him at night he was surprised by the day's events every time. Dean could only shake his head at him. It was really time that the court date came. Cas would not survive much longer the way he was acting right now. Eventually Lucifer would get him on his own. So Cas had better get out of prison before that happened.

But Cas excitement had faded when he returned from court after the first hearing in his new trial. Dean immediately noticed the drastic change in his cellmate's mood.

"What's wrong?" he asked carefully.

"Nothing," Cas answered. "Really, it's nothing," he assured Dean when he noticed the worried look on the other man's face. "I guess my hopes were just a little too high. I seriously believed that I would walk out of here today."

"Tell me what happened," Dean said gently and sat down next to Cas.

"Since Anna accused Bela and Zachariah to actually have stolen the money, they were subpoenaed to appear as witnesses and tell the court their side of the story. But they didn't show up. Everyone involved in the trial spent the entire day trying to find them but it appears they have left the country. Of course that makes them look even guiltier but it also delayed the whole trial. Now I have to wait another few days," Cas explained and Dean understood his disappointment.

But at least he still had the best chances to get out soon; he just had to wait a few more days. It wasn't as bad as Dean had expected upon Cas' return and he'd make sure that the next days would go as smoothly for Cas as possible.


	8. Chapter 8

**A lot of you can stop worrying now ;) I hope you enjoy the chapter. And as always I am grateful for all your awesome reviews. They make me happy.**

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><p>"Winchester! Follow me, please," the guard called, interrupting Dean, while he was fixing the engine of one oft he industrial size washing machines the prison was using. Dean was surprised and intrigued. It didn't often happen that someone was called away from work, unless they had gotten themselves in trouble, which Dean was certain was not the case for him.<p>

He followed the guard back to his and Cas' cell to find Cas there. It had been another court date for him and Cas was still in his suit. And not only that. He had a small cardboard box sitting on the bed and was putting his personal things inside. When he heard Dean at the door he looked up and smiled widely.

"You're leaving?" Dean was happy for Cas but he was also a little bit disappointed to lose his cellmate so soon again. He had really started to like Cas but he knew the other man was not made for a life in prison and was way better off outside. That didn't mean he wouldn't miss him though.

"Yes, I'm leaving. Anna was brilliant and convinced the judge beyond a doubt that I had nothing to do with the stolen money," Cas said. "My conviction was overturned and I was immediately released from prison. I can't believe I'm actually going home."

"That's great man. I'm happy for you," Dean said, smiling at Cas and his excitement.

Cas finished packing, he didn't have much he needed to take home with him, just some letters and his diary mostly and some other small things. He straightened and looked right at Dean.

"Thank you, Dean. For everything. I don't know what I would have done without you," Cas told him sincerely.

"Ah, don't mention it, man. It was nothing," Dean answered, almost embarrassed by the praise. "I wish you good luck for everything. You probably have to find a new job now, don't you?"

"Yes. But I will be compensated for everything Bela and Zachariah did to me, so I should be alright for a while," Cas said.

Then there was nothing else to say but the goodbyes. They stood in front of each other for a moment before Dean decided to give Cas a quick hug goodbye. It was a very brief and manly half hug though, with a few rough pats on the others' back. It was all Dean could do to keep this chick-flick moment as minor as possible.

"Goodbye, Cas."

"Goodbye, Dean," Cas replied, picked up his box and left.

The first few days without Cas were strange and Dean felt a little lonely. He hadn't felt like that since right after he had arrived in prison. Later he had even enjoyed having a cell for himself and being on his own when he felt like it. But now he didn't and he spent a lot of time playing cards with the other inmates, until they wouldn't let him play anymore because he was too good and the games with him got boring. Dean just always won.

After two weeks he got a letter from Cas, telling him that everything was going well for him and that he'd found a new job already as an assistant manager in a company that was Zachariah's biggest rival. With Cas' inside knowledge they hoped to finally become more successful and after what Zachariah had done to him Cas didn't feel that he owed him any loyalty anymore and had accepted the job.

The future of Zachariah's company didn't look very promising anyway and when the boss had returned to Kansas to take care of the new problems he had been greeted by law enforcement at the airport and had been taken straight to jail. He was now waiting for his trial.

Dean folded up the letter with a smile. He was glad that Cas was doing well and he was pleasantly surprised that he had gotten a letter at all. He hadn't expected Cas to think back at his prison experience if he could help it and he would have understood that. He made a mental note to write back to Cas but during the next few days he was too busy meeting with different people about his parole, to write a letter.

He had to start organizing his life after prison and even though most of that was done by other people for him, he had a few choices concerning housing and a job. Since there was now more time until he was released he could partake in some of the decisions, which otherwise would have been made for him. He thanked the director for it, knowing this wasn't common and that he had had a hand in this.

About a week later he finally had some free time again. Some new inmates had arrived and after Dean had watched them march down the hallway, he decided to start writing a letter to Cas. But when he sat down, he ended up just staring at an empty page for a long time with no clue what to write.

He hardly knew Cas and knew nothing about the man in the outside world. Their paths had crossed only briefly and even though they had been something like friends in prison that didn't mean they would continue to stay friends now. So what should he write about that was appropriate for the relationship they had shared? His life wasn't exciting, there weren't any big news to write about, at least not yet.

Just as Dean was ready to give up and postpone the letter, a guard appeared at his cell, leading a new inmate, shoving the reluctant man through the door. Dean looked up and surveyed him. This man looked like someone who was used to giving orders and having people do exactly what he said. He seemed a little arrogant and self-righteous and Dean instantly disliked him, without even having spoken with him.

"Dean Winchester," he finally greeted in a neutral tone, holding out his hand. He could at least give the man a chance. Maybe he would be the first case in which his first impression proved to be wrong.

"Zachariah Adler," the man replied and shook the offered hand. Then he turned away from Dean to put away his stack of sheets, towels and personal belongings. That way he didn't see the surprise on Dean's face and didn't notice the recognition dawn on his cellmate.

Dean had thought he'd heard the name Zachariah Adler before and soon remembered that that had been the name of Cas' boss. The man who had screwed his wife and framed him for a crime he hadn't had anything to do with. Now Dean was certain that his first thought about this man had been wrong. He didn't dislike this man. Dislike wasn't a strong enough word for what he felt. But at least he had something to write about for his letter to Castiel now.

And a few days later he had a lot more to write about. Lucifer was back out of isolation once again and had quickly chosen Zachariah as his new pet. Dean did nothing to warn or even help the man. He just made sure to be gone whenever Zachariah and Lucifer were in a room together. If he didn't see what happened he couldn't be expected to do anything about it. And since Zachariah had done a great job at antagonizing almost all the other inmates with his attitude, no one else was inclined to help him either.

Dean just quietly noted that more often than not Zachariah came back to their cell from the showers, walking very carefully and wincing when he sat down. Dean almost felt sorry for him, until he remembered what the man had done. And he made sure to keep Cas updated about what happened and also about the job he had been offered as an exterminator for when he was released.


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you all for the reviews. It's nice to know that are people out there as twisted as I am. Happy about Zach's fate ;D You guys are awesome. Now I hope you'll enjoy the next chapter as well.**

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><p>The next weeks passed quickly for Dean and they really couldn't pass quickly enough. He managed to stay out of trouble and pretty much ignored Zachariah. Getting involved with his problems would just mean trouble, which Dean really couldn't use. So he left the man to his own devices, Lucifer had almost immediately broken him anyway, so there wasn't much Dean could do, even if he wanted to.<p>

He had received another letter from Cas and he had written one to Cas, too. But after he had told him about Zachariah there wasn't really much to talk about anymore. His life just was pretty much the same every day. But he had written a letter to Bobby as soon as he had learned his exact release date. He didn't want the man to pick him up or anything. He just wanted him to know what was going on and he hoped that maybe Bobby would tell Sam the good news. Secretly he hoped Sam would come and meet him when he got out.

On his last day he was called away from work early because he had a visitor. When he entered the room there was a black woman waiting for him. His first impression was that she was someone he didn't want to cross. He sat down at the table across from her and had to resist the urge to squirm under her obvious scrutiny.

"Dean Winchester," she said sternly and he felt ready to confess anything at her tone, even though he hadn't done anything. It was like being five years old again and unsuccessfully trying to hide the fact that he had kicked the ball that had broken the window. If he did anything this woman would see right through him.

"My name is Missouri Moseley and I'll be your parole officer for the next seven months," she introduced herself.

"Nice to meet you, ma'am," Dean answered politely and slightly intimidated by the woman.

"Don't 'ma'am' me. I'm Missouri. We'll be seeing a lot of each other for the next months and I don't want to be called ma'am all the time."

"Yes, ma'am. Missouri," Dean answered, quickly correcting himself and she smiled warmly at him.

"As long as you do what I say, meet me once a week, go to work and stay out of trouble, we'll get along just fine. Step out of line and you find yourself back in here faster than you can say 'I'm sorry ma'am'. Are we clear?"

"Crystal clear. I won't cause you any trouble," Dean assured her.

"Great. Okay, here I have all the information for you about housing and your job. I'll give you a few days to settle in and you'll come and see me next week. If you have any pressing questions or problems before that don't hesitate to call me. My number is on the paper with my office's address and the time for your first appointment with me," she told him and gave him a few sheets of paper which he looked over quickly.

It was nothing new really, just all the information about his new life in written form. Dean thanked her and Missouri got up to leave. When she reached the door she looked back at him.

"You seem like a good man. Don't disappoint me and especially yourself," she said and then left the room.

"I won't," Dean muttered into the empty room and then got up when the guard opened the door for him, so he could go to his cell and start gathering his belongings. He would leave right after breakfast the next morning.

He hardly slept that night and that was only partly due to the pitiful whimpering from the bottom bunk. He had gotten used to those kinds of nightly sounds in prison. But he was so excited about finally leaving this place that he couldn't fall asleep. His mind kept making plans about what to do first once he was a free man.

A cheeseburger was first, he decided. He would find a diner that served decent cheeseburgers, hopefully with bacon on them, too. Burgers were rare in prison and not what Dean thought a burger should taste like. And he needed pie. He hadn't had pie in one year so he didn't even care what kind it was, as long as it was pie.

Yes, he'd definitely get some good food as soon as he was out. And second would be finding out what happened to his car. The car his Dad thankfully hadn't taken when he'd disappeared and which he loved as if it was a person. The '67 Chevy Impala in which he and Sam had learned how to drive. He didn't know if Sam had taken the car or if he had left it with Bobby. Sam had never felt for the Impala like Dean had. He would call Bobby soon and find out what happened to it.

Oh, and there was TV of course. He had never watched much TV in prison. It had always been a strange atmosphere with the other inmates around and he could never watch his favorite show without risking being mocked or worse. Dr. Sexy M.D. wasn't something you'd suggest watching in a prison but maybe he could catch up now. He just liked the show for some reason. He didn't know if the room he had been assigned even had a TV but if it did, he would watch that show again.

With these plans for the next few days he finally fell asleep and when he woke up in the morning breakfast couldn't be over soon enough. Finally he was allowed to change into regular clothes, take his few belongings and leave. The director and a few guards even said goodbye personally and wished him good luck. He had gotten along well with most of the staff but he still wouldn't miss them and they felt the same.

"Goodbye. I hope we'll never see you again," the director told him with a smile as he shook his hand and then the door opened and Dean went out the front door of the prison for the first time in a year.

He stopped for a moment, lifted his face up towards the sky and took a deep breath. Then he laughed happily and walked down towards the street that ran along the prison grounds. There he stopped and looked around. He hadn't called a cab or anything, holding on to the faint hope that Sam had finally gotten over his anger and had actually come to pick him up on his first day as a free man again.

But there was no one there. He waited for a few more minutes in case Sam was a little late but half an hour later there was still no one to pick him up. He sighed, swallowing his disappointed, and started to walk back up towards the building to ask for a phone.

"Dean!"

He stopped in his tracks and turned around at the shout. Someone had come after all, just not the someone he had waited for. It was Castiel who had parked his car at the curb and gotten out to call after Dean.

"Cas. I didn't expect to see you here," he said and he was almost as happy to see Cas as he would have been to see his brother.

"I…I didn't know if you had someone to pick you up and I thought it would be nice to see a friendly face. Are you expecting someone else?" Cas felt a little bit unsure, now that he was there. It had seemed like a good idea to come here but maybe Dean didn't want to see him.

Dean walked towards Cas and smiled at him. "No, I'm not expecting anyone else. Thanks for coming. You didn't have to do that."

"Yes, I did. I owe you a lot and this is just a small thing I can do for you. I would have been here sooner but traffic was crazy today," he explained as they walked to his car.

Dean put his things on the backseat and then the two men got into the car. "So, where do you want to go first?" Cas asked and Dean didn't need to think long.


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you all for the reviews, favorites and alerts so far. The response I've been getting for this is amazing and I love you guys for it and try to update often. **

**Here is Dean's first day as a free man. I hope you enjoy.**

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><p>'Where do you want to go first,' Cas had asked and Dean knew the perfect answer to that question.<p>

"I would really like to go to the best diner in town and get a burger," Dean grinned. "If it's alright with you," he added with a quick look at Cas.

"Sure. I don't have to be at the office today. I can from home mostly," Cas told him with a smile. He started the car and drove straight to the next diner, one that he knew to serve excellent food.

The diner wasn't full. It was the middle of the morning and there were only a few people there to drink coffee. Dean ordered a bacon-cheeseburger, even though he had just had breakfast. He couldn't wait and needed one now. Cas only ordered coffee and sat with Dean while he ate, almost moaning at the awesome taste of the burger.

When Dean was done with the burger he called the waitress to their table. Cas expected him to ask for the bill but instead Dean ordered pie. Cas only smiled and shook his head but didn't say anything. He got another cup of coffee and enjoyed watching Dean and how happy something as simple as food could make him. He was glad he had decided to take the time to pick him up from prison.

When Dean was finally done eating he gave Cas his new address and Cas drove him there. It was an apartment building at the edge of town, not the best area but not the worst either. It was what Dean could afford right out of prison and where he was accepted as a tenant. Missouri had gotten the room for him and as far as he knew he'd share the apartment with someone else who was also out on parole.

"So this is where you live now?" Cas asked when they sat in car outside the building. It was a big building that felt cold and uninviting and Cas thought it was hardly better than prison.

"I guess so," Dean answered not sounding very impressed by the place either. "Maybe it's better inside. You shouldn't judge a book by its cover, right?"

"Absolutely. How long do you have to stay here before you can move somewhere else?" Cas replied and it made Dean laugh.

"I don't know. I guess as soon as I find something I can afford and where they accept an ex-convict. And Missouri would have to agree, too," Dean said, still chuckling. "Missouri is my parole officer," he explained when he noticed the confusion on Cas' face.

"Ah," Cas simply said and for a moment they just sat there in silence, watching the building and the people coming and going. Finally Dean moved, unbuckling his seatbelt and turning slightly towards Cas.

"I guess I should go inside, see what my room is like." He stared at Cas who held his gaze for a long time. Then Dean shifted again and opened his door. "Thanks for picking me up, Cas. It really was nice to see a friend," he smiled and then got out of the car and opened the rear door to get his things.

"You're welcome, Dean. If you ever need anything…" He reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper on which he had written his own address and phone number. "…or if you just want to hang out, give me a call." He handed the paper to Dean who unfolded it and read it quickly.

"Sorry, I didn't get any new business cards made yet," Cas told him, apparently embarrassed at the unprofessional piece of paper.

"No, it's fine. I will," Dean told him reassuringly as he put the paper in his pocket. He didn't say it but he actually thought the handwritten note was better than a printed business card. It was so much more personal and it made him happy that Cas had thought of doing that so they could stay in touch.

Their eyes met again for a moment before Dean straightened and closed the car door. With a small wave he walked to the entrance of the apartment building, the key Missouri had deposited at the prison for him feeling cold and strange in his hand as he opened the door. He turned around once more and saw Cas drive away before he went inside.

He would have liked for Cas to stay but right now he needed some time alone to settle and get used to his new situation on his own. But he was sure he'd want to hang out with Cas soon. Once he had gotten his new life in order. He didn't want to burden Cas with any problems he might have. And since he'd spent a year in prison, living with strict rules, there would certainly be problems while he learned to be in charge of his own life again. But he'd handle them when they came.

He went up the stairs to the third floor and found apartment 312, which was where he'd live from now on. He opened the door to a short, dark hallway which soon widened into a large room which seemed to be kitchen and living room at the same time. A very messy room with dirty dishes and empty bottles and an overflowing trash can.

Great, Dean thought as he stood there, surveying his new home. He was sorely tempted to go back to the door and check if he was really in the right apartment, when one of the three doors leading away from this disaster zone opened. It was the one with a sign on it that said 'Dr. Badass is in' and a mullet wearing man appeared. He looked like a Lyrnyrd Skynyrd roadie and Dean wouldn't be surprised if all the empty beer bottles were his from last night.

"You must be Dean. Hi, I'm Ash," he introduced himself. "The room over there is yours," he told Dean, pointing at the door opposite his own. Which meant that the third and last door was probably the bathroom.

"Yeah, I'm Dean. Nice to meet you," Dean answered though he wasn't quite sure yet if that was the truth. "Well, I'll be…in there then," he finished lamely, moving towards his room. He didn't really know what to make of that guy yet. He wasn't easy to label like the people he'd met in prison had been. But he'd probably find out more sooner or later, he thought as he put his bag down on the small bed and started to put his few belongings away in the closet and on the shelves that he found in his room. There was also a desk and a chair in front of the window so there was everything he needed, at least for now.

It turned out that Dean found out more about Ash sooner rather than later. He had spent most of the day setting up his room and doing some cleaning in the kitchen, even though it was not his dirt and therefore not his job. But he needed something to do and it was the obvious thing that needed to be done.

When Ash stuck his head out of his room later that day he was surprised and offered Dean a beer and the two men sat together and talked for a while. Dean learned that Ash was actually a computer genius and had been involved in some kind of internet scam and he'd been caught. He promised that that would never happen again but Dean wasn't quite sure if he was referring to doing something illegal on the internet or to getting caught.

And when Ash produced a movie later that night that he couldn't or shouldn't have yet, Dean was sure he had meant he wouldn't get caught again. He could only hope the guy was as good as he said he was and that he wouldn't drag Dean down with him if he wasn't.

For the moment he did get along quite well with him though and he enjoyed the movie, too, so living with this guy might have some advantages. After the movie Dean got ready for bed. It was late and he was used to sleeping at certain times and also he needed to get up in the morning for his new job. He had also wanted to call Bobby but had forgotten with everything else going on. He'd do it in the morning.

When he finished in the bathroom he found Ash asleep on the small sofa. He shook him carefully but the guy wouldn't wake so Dean just shook his head and went to his room. Ash would be fine and Dean really couldn't worry too much about someone else right now.


	11. Chapter 11

**This chapter is very important, even though not much really happens here. I'm setting up a few things for later which you may or may not notice. Let's see if I can surprise you in later chapters ;) Anyway, like I said, not much happening and Cas isn't in this one either. But he'll be in the next. I hope you enjoy anyway.**

Work was okay, Dean found out the next day. He had never wanted to be an exterminator but it was alright for the time being and it paid the bills. His co-workers were quiet and kept to themselves but Dean hoped they'd eventually warm to him. He didn't need new friends really but someone to talk to during breaks would be nice.

The boss, Michael Milligan, was a no nonsense kind of guy, who told Dean right away that he'd have to start at the bottom and work his way up in the firm. That was only possible though if he followed all the rules to the letter. Dean promised him that he would and actually didn't mind the strict rules that much. It was what he was used to from prison and he would do whatever the boss wanted him to do because he really couldn't risk the job without risking his freedom, too.

"Basically you'll just do whatever needs to be done, whatever anyone here tells you to do. Especially my son Adam. It will be mostly cleaning the cars and the equipment. This is your chance to prove yourself to me, boy. If you work hard and do a good job, I'll start taking you out on jobs with me, teach you the business. Does that sound good?" Michael told him.

"Yes, sir, it does. I promise I will work hard and be useful to you," Dean answered and Michael nodded approvingly and gave Dean the assignment to wash the company's cars. That was definitely not as bad as Dean had feared and he enjoyed the work with the cars and when Michael came to inspect his work at the end of the day he was satisfied with his new employee.

When he returned to his apartment, Ash was sitting in the living room, working on something that looked like a self-made laptop computer. Dean watched for a moment but decided it might be better to not know too much about what Ash did and went to his room. He really needed to call Bobby now, tell him that everything was fine and ask about Sam. He was glad he hadn't only gotten a job and an apartment right out of prison, but also a new cell phone. One less thing to worry about.

"Hey Bobby, it's Dean," he said when the other man answered.

"Dean. How was your first day in freedom?" Bobby greeted and Dean told him about the apartment and his job and that things might not be ideal but where alright for the moment.

"Have you talked to Sam lately?" Dean finally came to the point he was most curious about.

"I called him when I got your letter to let him know that you were finally getting out of prison. He didn't say anything but I had the feeling that he wanted to go and see you. But from your question I take it he hasn't shown up," Bobby told him.

"No, he hasn't."

"Well, he hasn't called me either this week. Used to be that he checked in with me about once a week to tell me he was still alive. But than he met this girlfriend of his and forgot his common sense. She's not good for him but he won't listen to me. I mean, what kind of name is Ruby even?" Bobby complained.

"Uhm, a stripper?" Dean suggested and got a huff from Bobby as an answer.

"Listen, I'll try to get a hold of him and let you know in a few days, okay? I tried earlier today but he didn't answer and I don't like to talk to a freaking machine," Bobby decided and Dean agreed. They talked a little longer, catching up and then Dean ended the call because he was starving.

He went into the kitchen from where he could see Ash, who was still busy with his laptop thingy he had built. Dean searched the cabinets for clean pots and dishes and then started to cook with the groceries he had bought on the way home from work. It was just pasta but it was quickly done and tasty.

"Are you hungry?" he asked Ash who shook his head, pointed to a plate that was empty save for a few unidentifiable crumbs and held up a half-empty beer bottle.

"Okay, then. More for me," Dean said and wondered whether to keep the leftovers for dinner or pack them as lunch the next day.

When his food was done he sat down on the couch next to Ash who was playing some kind of computer game which made Dean curious, despite his earlier decision to stay away from Ash's computer stuff. He watched for a while to figure out what it was about. Apparently you had to find and kill all kinds of supernatural monsters and repeatedly save the world from the apocalypse. It looked like a lot of fun.

"You can play, too, if you want. There's an option for two players. I'll add you when you're done eating," Ash offered and Dean remembered that he had food that was slowly but steadily getting cold.

He quickly started to eat and found out that he needed some practice in cooking. It wasn't really bad but it could be better. The pasta was a little overcooked and the sauce was bland but he added quite a bit of cheese and then it tasted okay. When he got up to rinse his plate, Ash looked up at him apologetically.

"Sorry, I thought it was easier to add another player. I need a little more time to crack this," he told Dean.

"Sure, take your time," Dean answered and sat down with that day's paper that Ash had left on the kitchen counter. "I'll read a little."

He started at the front with the biggest news being about the bad world wide economy. Dean read a little but it was depressing so he moved on to the local stories. The first one wasn't much better. It was about a pretty bad car accident that had happened the day before, which had left the driver seriously hurt and the passenger dead. Dean remembered that Cas had complained about traffic when he'd picked him up, so that might have been the cause.

The next story was a happier one. A little girl who had been missing had been found again after two days. She had been looking for her kitty and when she'd finally found her, she was so lost that she couldn't find her way back home. Some hikers had found her and she and her kitty had been safely returned to their home.

The story made Dean smile and gave him a warm feeling. He was just about to get to the sports section when Ash called out. "Gotcha! Okay, Dean. I'm ready. Do you want to be the older or the younger brother?"

"I'll be the older brother. Means I get to call the shots," Dean grinned and folded the newspaper up, putting it on a shelf, so it wasn't in his way.

Ash gave him one of the two controllers he had somehow attached to his computer and explained the rules of the game. Basically they just had to gank all the monsters they could find, before the monsters killed them. The two men started to play and had a great time. Dean turned out to be really good at this game even though he had never played it before and the two of them played till late at night.


	12. Chapter 12

**Sorry for the longer wait. I would have updated sooner but I had a very busy weekend. I hope this somewhat longer chapter makes up for the wait. Thanks for your continued support, the reviews and alerts always make me smile. I hope you'll enjoy the chapter.**

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><p>Bobby called the next day but he didn't have any news about Sam, he hadn't been able to reach him and Sam hadn't called either.<p>

"Don't worry. I'll keep looking and I'll find him. I'll give you a call when I know more," Bobby promised.

"Thanks Bobby. I appreciate it," Dean said. "I wouldn't know where to start."

Work was hard the next few days but Dean did whatever he was told. He really wanted to prove himself and he liked working and being useful. So he was happy to help wherever he could, whenever one of his co-workers needed his help or had a job for him. Even when the requests were ridiculous or impossible, like the ones coming from Adam and his best friend Alastair often were, he tried his best.

Dean knew he couldn't complain. Adam was the boss' son and how would it look like anyway, if he complained to Michael about anyone during his first week. He hoped the two men were only doing those things because he was new and would get bored and stop eventually.

Other than that Dean was getting used to his work and his life as a free man and he quickly settled in a daily routine. As soon as he noticed this he called Cas. He had decided to get used to his new life first and then meet up with Cas, who was a part of his old life but one he didn't want to miss.

Cas was happy to get the call. He'd been waiting impatiently and had been tempted to call Dean himself, to find out how things were going and if he could help. But he knew that Dean wouldn't appreciate that and that he needed some time on his own now, so Cas had waited.

Now he was in front of the building, where he had dropped Dean off a few days ago. He looked at it skeptically before getting out of the car and walking up to the front door. He found the sign with the names 'Harvelle/ Winchester' on it and rang the bell. Dean had told him a little about his roommate but he'd said that Ash wouldn't be home this night so they'd decided to just hang out at Dean's apartment.

A few minutes later he reached he third floor and Dean opened the door for him, smiling warmly at him and Cas smiled back. "Hello, Dean," he said and Dean let him inside.

"Hi Cas," Dean replied and watched him while Cas walked around the place, taking it all in. He didn't think it was much better than what he'd expected after that first impression when he'd dropped Dean off here but he couldn't really say that.

"This is…nice," Cas finally said and Dean laughed.

"No, it isn't and you and I both know it," he replied and Cas laughed with him.

"You're right, this place is a dump," he agreed and looked around the mess in the kitchen/ living room that Dean hadn't had the time to clean up anymore after work.

"Yeah, my roommate's not …very tidy. But at least it's better than a cell and Ash is actually a pretty cool guy. He just doesn't understand the concept of cleaning up," Dean said and picked up a pile of clothes from the couch and went to the door with the sign 'Dr. Badass is out'. He opened the door, dumped the pile inside the room and quickly shut the door again.

"No wonder he mostly sleeps out here," he muttered. "That room's a freakin' disaster zone."

He sat down next to Cas on the now free couch, turned on the TV and found a ball game and they talked for a while about their new jobs and their new lives, occasionally commenting on the game, which neither of them was really following.

"So, this Ash guy, he's really good with computers, right?" Cas asked suddenly.

"Yeah, I'd say he is. Why do you ask?"

"Do you think he could track my wife, ex-wife, somehow? Bela's still out there somewhere and I'd feel better if she wasn't. Call me spiteful, but I'd really love to see her behind bars," Cas explained and Dean nodded.

"I understand. I don't know if he can but I'll ask," Dean promised.

Before Cas could say anything else Dean's phone started ringing and with an apologetic look he got up to get it.

"It's Bobby. I better take it. It might be about Sam," Dean said after checking the screen to see who was calling.

"Sure, no problem," Cas told him. He knew how much Dean missed his brother and that he was hoping to hear from him. So of course he'd have to take a call that might give him more information about Sam whereabouts.

"Hey Bobby. What've you got?" he asked right away.

"Not much. Nothing on Sam. He seems to have disappeared from the face of the Earth. I can't get a hold of him. So I looked for the car instead. Figured, a classic car like her, someone must have noticed," Bobby told him.

"Yeah, she's a real beauty," Dean replied and stared straight at Cas as he said that, giving him a flirtatious wink.

Cas was surprised and confused, which, he figured, was exactly what Dean had wanted to achieve. After all he only heard half of the conversation and was wondering if Bobby had asked Dean if he had female company. Whatever it was, he stared right back at Dean, right into those green eyes and Dean forgot that he was on the phone for a moment.

"Dean, you still there?" Bobby asked when Dean remained silent for too long.

"What? Oh yeah, yeah. I'm here. Sorry, what where you saying?" Dean asked and realized that Bobby had been talking for a while already and he hadn't heard a single word, too lost in Cas' eyes, which were now twinkling with laughter. Dean smiled at him but then turned away to better concentrate on what Bobby had to say.

"I found some hints about an Impala that was involved in a car accident on the day you got out of prison. And it wasn't far away from you either. I haven't started calling the hospitals yet but that will be my next step. I just wanted to tell you what I found," Bobby said and he sounded worried.

"Thanks Bobby. I'll call the hospitals myself and let you know when I find something," Dean said and sat down on the couch again, all thoughts of flirting with Cas gone from both of their minds at the mention of hospitals.

"Alright. Don't forget about that, you hear me?" Bobby said and then hung up.

Dean put down the phone and looked at Cas. "Bobby thinks Sam might have been in an accident. Remember the one you talked about when you picked me up from prison?"

Cas only nodded and put his hand on Dean's arm, lightly rubbing it for comfort. Dean took a deep breath and suddenly got up and started to search the kitchen shelves. After a moment he returned to the couch with a newspaper in his hand. It was the one he had read a few days ago and remembered it mentioning an accident. He showed it to Cas.

"It says that one person died and one was seriously injured. What if Sam is the one who died? I can't do it Cas. I can't call the hospitals and not find him. I can't call the morgues to ask for my brother," Dean said shakily and Cas pulled the paper onto his lap and quickly read the article.

"It says here that the person who was killed was a young woman, Dean," he said quietly and Dean looked up at him with hopeful eyes.

"Really? Oh, thank god. I mean, it's terrible that someone died, but…"

"I understand. Come on, let's call the hospitals and find your brother, okay?" Cas encouraged and Dean picked up his phone again and together they called the different hospitals, quickly finding the one where Sam was being treated after the accident.

There was no question that Cas drove Dean to the hospital and stayed with him the whole time. Dean talked to the nurse at the front desk, who immediately called another nurse, a pretty blond one, once she knew that Dean was the brother of the patient from the car accident.

The nurse, whose name was Jessica Moore as her name tag read, led Dean and Cas through the hospital to the room where Sam was lying.

"We've been trying to find his relatives but we couldn't reach you," she told them on their way through the maze of hallways to the intensive care unit.

"We haven't been in touch for a while," Dean explained vaguely.

"But you came now, when he needs you. That's what matters and I'm sure he'll see it the same way," nurse Moore said with a smile and Dean nodded.

"Here we are," she finally told them and let Dean and Cas enter the room first to see Sam.

"Sammy!" Dean rushed to his bed, gently taking his brother's hand in his, careful not to dislodge any of the tubes connected to his brother, keeping him alive. "What's wrong with him?" he asked, turning his head to look at the nurse.

"He's in a coma. He has been, since he came here. His condition is serious but not life-threatening," she told them.

This didn't do much to make Dean feel better. He'd been hoping that maybe Sam was only asleep. Cas sensed Dean's worry and fear for his brother and stepped behind Dean, squeezing his shoulder. Dean briefly covered the hand on his shoulder with his own, thanking Castiel for being there, for the support and comfort he gave so freely.

"Can't you tell us anything else?" Cas asked when Dean apparently couldn't find the right words.

"I'm sorry but I can't. But doctor Milton will be here soon. He'll be able to explain everything to you. You can wait here if you want," nurse Moore told them and then left the room, leaving the men alone with Dean's comatose brother, waiting for the doctor.


	13. Chapter 13

"Mr. Winchester?" a man in a white lab coat asked from the doorway. Dean looked up to see a brown haired doctor wearing tennis shoes standing there.

"Yes, that's me," he answered, getting up to shake the doctor's hand. "And this is Castiel Novak. He's a friend," he introduced Cas, who nodded at the doctor by way of greeting.

"I'm Gabriel Milton and I'm your brother's doctor," the man replied and entered the room.

"Please, can you tell me what's wrong with him? When will he wake up?" Dean asked anxiously.

"Your brother sustained a serious head trauma in the accident. He was unconscious when he arrived here and the scans showed some swelling of the brain and some minor bleeding. We kept him in a coma artificially to give his body time to heal. The scans from this morning look much better so we're slowly letting him wake up now. The coma is much lighter now than during the past week and he should wake up within the next few days," Gabriel explained.

"Will he be okay?" Dean wanted to know.

"That is always hard to predict with head injuries. We won't know for sure until he wakes up but I'm confident that there'll be no lasting damage," the doctor told Dean with a reassuring smile.

"And when will he wake up?"

"That too, is hard to predict. The meds keeping him under should be out of his system soon but it might still take a while for him to wake up. If you leave your contact information with Jess, we will inform you the minute he wakes up. Until then you're of course welcome to visit. Do you have any more questions?" Gabriel said and headed towards the door.

Dean shook his head. "Thanks doc," he said and sat back down by Sam's side.

"Alright. If you do have more questions, don't hesitate to ask. Just tell Jess, she'll be able to find me." Gabriel put his right hand in the pocket of his lab coat. "Candy?" he asked when he pulled his hand back out, now holding several pieces of hard candy in colorful wrappers. Dean and Cas both shook their heads and Gabriel shrugged. He unwrapped one piece and put the rest back in his pocket before he finally left the room.

"I'll go and talk to the nurse for you if you want," Cas offered, thinking that maybe Dean would like some time alone with his brother. Dean nodded but didn't say anything and Cas left the room to find Jess.

When he returned fifteen minutes later, Dean hadn't moved from his spot by Sam's side and Cas almost felt like an intruder for coming back into the room. "I told her everything she needed to know. We have half an hour now before we have to leave for the night."

"Okay," Dean said quietly still not looking anywhere else but at his brother. "You don't have to stay though, you know. I could take a bus or something later," Dean offered but he sounded so lonely and lost that Cas couldn't just leave him.

"I know. But I'll stay here. With you and Sam," he answered and now Dean turned his head to look at him, his eyes grateful.

"Thank you," he said.

"You need to leave now. You can come back tomorrow," Jess said softly when she returned half an hour later.

Dean nodded and thanked her and then he and Cas left the hospital. It was late anyway and he needed some rest. Cas drove them back to Dean's apartment building but when he stopped the car Dean didn't move to get out. He just sat there quietly and stared out the window and Cas gave him the time he needed and sat silently beside him.

Finally Dean began to talk and Cas listened to him because it was what Dean needed. He talked about his and Sam's childhood , about how he had always watched out for his little brother, in school and at home. He told Cas that Sam had run away once, as a teenager and that their dad, John, had been too drunk to even notice it. It had been Dean who'd taken John's car without permission and who'd found Sam and brought him back home before he could get hurt out on the street. And Dean had gotten punished for taking the car but he hadn't told John why he'd needed it.

Dean kept talking, telling Cas about his brother up until the day that prison had separated them. Cas already knew some of the things Dean told him, from earlier conversations but some of the stories were new for him. He understood how important family was for Dean and how much it must have hurt him, when his brother, for whom he had done everything, had turned his back on him. He really admired Dean for reaching out to Sam again.

When Dean was done talking he finally moved to get out of the car. "Thanks for being here with me tonight," Dean said when he opened the door and Cas reached out and grabbed Dean's wrist, stopping his movement.

"He'll be okay. He'll wake up and he'll be alright, Dean," he told him sincerely and Dean looked at him.

"I know. But thanks," he said softly and slowly pulled his arm out of Cas' grasp and went up to the building he lived in.

He was greeted by Ash who had returned in the meantime and was now busy actually doing some cleaning. At least he seemed to be trying to do that. He had dumped all the stuff from his room in the living room and was sorting through it, making different piles. Dean couldn't really recognize a system and only hoped that having the stuff out in the living room was only temporary.

"Missouri was here," Ash said by way of explanation, when he noticed Dean's raised eyebrow and his surprised expression. "She warned me to clean up a bit and not let you do all the work. It's better to listen to her."

Dean agreed with that assessment but he was impressed nonetheless. So far he had only spoken to Missouri once, when she'd surprisingly visited him at work, to see how he was doing and he hadn't told her anything about what living with Ash was like. But then she probably knew the guy for a while already.

Dean stayed up with Ash for a bit, telling him about Sam, before he went to his room to go to bed. He had only just closed the door, when it flew open again, barely missing him. Ash strode into his room.

"Sorry dude. I need to get something from your room. Needed a quick hiding place. I didn't expect Missouri to show up so late," he explained as he pulled back the small rug and loosened a floorboard. Then he reached under it to release a latch that held down another floorboard, right underneath Dean's bed.

Dean watched horrified as Ash extracted some computer drives and disks, that certainly didn't contain anything legal, from the small space.

"Dude, what the hell?" Dean asked, hardly able to believe what he was witnessing.

"Hey, relax. They'll never find that place," Ash tried to appease, sensing the outrage coming from Dean.

"Doesn't matter. You can't just do that. I don't care what you do in your own room but don't you fucking dare drag me into your shit," Dean told him, staying relatively calm with some effort. He could live with a messy kitchen and living room but this was taking things too far.

Ash didn't say anything else. He just nodded meekly and hurried out of the room, leaving Dean to finally get some rest.

The next day was a free day for Dean. At least free from work. He had an appointment with Missouri first thing in the morning.

"So, how have things been for you? Have you settled in well?" she asked warmly.

"Yes, I have. Thanks. Everything is going well so far," Dean replied. He had already decided last night that he wouldn't tell Missouri about Ash's little hiding place.

"Did Ash tell you about my little visit last night?"

"Yes, he did. And he already started picking up his room," Dean told her with a smile, which she returned.

"Good," she said. "Let's hope it lasts. Is there anything else you'd like to talk about?"

Dean hesitated but then he told her about Sam. She was nothing but nice to him and he felt that he could trust her with any problem he might have. She listened patiently and when he was done she promised to help him, should he ever need it.

Just as he was about to say goodbye and leave, his phone rang. He checked the caller ID and saw the hospital's number.

"Go on. Answer it. It could be important," Missouri encouraged him, upon seeing the look on his face and Dean answered the phone.

"Mr. Winchester? Dean Winchester?"

Dean immediately recognized Jess' voice. "Yes, that's me. Is something wrong with Sam?" he asked, suddenly worried. This could be the call he was waiting for but there was also the slight possibility of bad news.

"No, no," Jess quickly told him. "Everything is fine. In fact, it looks like he is waking up now. I thought you'd like to know that."

"Yes, absolutely. Thank you. I'll be right there," he answered and ended the call, almost beaming at Missouri at the good news. She offered to drop him off at the hospital, since she was going in that direction anyway and Dean gratefully accepted. He couldn't wait to get to Sammy now.

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><p><strong>I hope you enjoyed the chapter. The author's note is at the end of this chapter for a reason. So, I made Gabriel Sam's doctor and Jess his nurse. I'm thinking about making one of them...interested in Sam interesting for Sam and I'd like to know your opinion. You can tell me in a review but I'm also making a poll (mostly because I've never done that before. It's on my profile page), so let me know whichever way you prefer. Or both :D**


	14. Chapter 14

**Thank you all for your reviews. The feedback I'm getting for this amazing. About the question from last chapter. Gabriel is winning so far but if you haven't voted you still have a chance till next chapter. The poll is on my profile page. Again, thank you all for reading and reviewing this story. And now enjoy the chapter.**

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><p>Jess met Dean outside Sam's room. She stopped him from going right in, wanting to talk to him first. "He's been awake for a few minutes now but don't expect too much. He's drifting in and out of consciousness and so far we haven't been able to talk to him."<p>

"Okay," Dean replied hesitantly, not sure what to think of these news. "Can I go in now?"

"Sure. I just wanted to let you know what to expect," Jess answered and stepped aside to let Dean open the door.

Jess didn't follow him and Dean closed the door behind him to give him some privacy. Sam had his eyes closed and didn't move. He looked just like the day before and for a moment Dean wasn't sure if Jess had been right about him waking up. But when he sat down next to the bed and took Sam's hand in his, Dean thought Sam was reacting to him.

The hand in his tightened and held on to him and then Dean saw his brother's eyes flutter open. Dean got up from his chair to bend over his brother some. Just enough to make sure that his eyes really were open.

"Sam? Sammy, can you hear me?" he asked softly, full of hope.

"Sam, not Sammy," came the raspy and very quiet response.

"How do you feel?" Dean asked after a moment of just looking at his brother, whom he hadn't seen in so long.

"Like I've been in a car crash," Sam deadpanned and Dean smiled. Yep, this sounded a lot like the brother he remembered.

"Everything hurts and I'm thirsty," Sam continued and Dean immediately got up.

"I'll go and get the nurse. You just stay here," he attempted to joke and got a weak smile from Sam.

Dean quickly found Jess, who had apparently been waiting just around the corner. Dean quickly told her about Sam and what he had said and she promised to take care of him and asked Dean to wait. Dean was grateful for a little time on his own. He needed to think a few things through and figure out how he actually felt about his brother now.

He had waited so long for this moment. The thought of a reunion with his brother had kept him going while he was in prison. And when he had found out about the accident he had been worried for his brother. But now that Sam was awake and seemed to fine there was also anger mixed in there at Sam abandoning him like he had. Dean felt confused and conflicted. When his brother had opened his eyes, he had both wanted to hug and to punch him.

Of course he had done neither. Sam looked so damn fragile in that hospital bed, with all those machines around him and the tubes attached to him that Dean was afraid to hurt him if he touched his brother. But they would definitely need to talk about what had gotten into Sam and then Dean could still decide whether he deserved to be punched. But first Sam needed to get better. That was his number one priority and everything else had to wait.

"You can go back in now," Jess said a few minutes later. "The doctor gave him some more painkillers and he's better now."

"Okay, thanks," Dean answered and went back to Sam's room.

Sam was looking much better already, more alert and less pale than just the few minutes ago that Dean had left to get Jess. On the bedside table there was a bright purple, crumpled candy wrapper.

"I see Dr. Milton was here," Dean said with a smile, pointing at the little piece of paper.

"Yes, he was. And whatever he gave me was amazing. I feel great."

"Good, that's good. You had me worried there, when you were trying to impersonate a vegetable," Dean told him his tone more serious than his words.

"I'm sorry, Dean," Sam said quietly and sighed deeply. "Funny how me having to go to the hospital got us into this whole mess and now we're at a hospital again."

"Let's just hope things will go better this time," Dean said half jokingly.

Sam nodded. "I'm sorry. I really am. Not only for this…" he gestured at himself lying in the hospital bed, "…but for everything."

"Sam…it's not gonna be that easy," Dean said heavily and Sam looked at him with sad puppy dog eyes, something he'd always been extremely good at, but Dean didn't melt like he used to.

Sam started to speak again but Dean silenced him with a quick hand gesture. "We'll talk about everything, once you're better, okay? First you need to get fixed and be yourself again, not on some kind of meds anymore, deal?"

"Deal," Sam agreed but had one thing to say anyway. "I was going to pick you up."

"I know, Sammy. I know."

"It's Sam," Sam almost seethed but calmed back down immediately. "I wasn't alone. Ruby was in the car with me. Where is she? Is she okay?"

"Oh, Sam. I'm sorry, but the other person in the car with you didn't make it," Dean said gently, taking Sam's hand again, who squeezed his brother's hand tightly. Sam's face screwed up with the effort not to cry and after a moment he withdrew his hand.

"Could you…could you give me some time alone? I…I had no idea," Sam whispered and Dean could hear the unshed tears and the not yet voiced sobs in those words. He nodded and went to the door.

"We were arguing when it happened. I don't even know what the last thing I said to her was but we were arguing, so it probably wasn't anything nice," Sam added before Dean was out the door. Dean turned around once more and opened his mouth to say something but couldn't think of anything, so he just looked into Sam's sad eyes for a moment before leaving him alone, giving him some space to grieve for his dead girlfriend.

Dean walked through the halls of the hospital aimlessly for a bit, before going outside and sitting down on a bench in the nearby park. He got out his cell phone and dialed Cas' number.

"Hello Dean," said Cas, who must have recognized the number.

"Hey, Cas," Dean said. "I'm at the hospital again. Sam woke up this morning."

"Wow, that was fast. How is he?" Cas asked, happy about those news.

"He seems to be fine," Dean told him but didn't sound quite as happy as Cas would have expected.

"And what about you? How are you doing?"

"I'm okay," Dean answered but not very convincingly. He felt confused and conflicted and didn't know how to work through his feelings. But he wouldn't admit this to anyone and just put on a brave face and somehow get through this.

"Dean…" Cas said, clearly doubting that statement.

"Really, Cas. I'm fine. It's just a little too much at the moment," Dean told him, admitting quite a lot with his last comment.

"You sound like you could use some company. Where are you?"

"I'm still at the hospital. I was gonna go and get lunch now," Dean gave in immediately. He really could use some company and there was no one he could trust more than Cas.

"Alright. I'll be there in fifteen minutes," Cas said and then hung up. Dean looked at his cell phone, not quite sure what had just happened. But subconsciously he must have wanted Cas' company all along or he wouldn't have called him. He shrugged and put his phone away again and slowly made his way to the cafeteria.

He took his time and didn't have to wait long for Cas. They both got something to eat and sat down at a table that wasn't in close proximity to any others, giving them a little privacy.

"So, tell me about Sam," Cas prompted once they were almost done eating.

"Well, when I came here the nurse, Jess, told me they hadn't been able to speak to him but when I was with him he really woke up and we talked for a bit. He asked me about his girlfriend and asked me to leave him alone, when I told him she was dead," Dean summed the morning up for Cas.

"Okay, but he's gonna be okay. So what else is going on?" Cas asked and Dean couldn't hold back any longer and told Cas about his confusion concerning Sam and about what Ash had done and that he didn't know how to manage his life like that, without the strict rules he knew from prison.

"Do you feel better now?" Cas asked calmly when Dean was done.

"Yes, I do," Dean answered, sounding surprised.

"You can always call me when you need to talk, you know?" Cas told him, covering Dean's hand, which was lying on the table, with his.

Dean looked down at their hands but didn't pull his away. "I know. Thanks Cas."

"And about that thing with Ash. You could come and stay with me for a while if you need to get away. I have way too much space now that I'm on my own. I have spare rooms and you're welcome to one of them."

Dean was overwhelmed by this offer and didn't have any words at first. "Thanks Cas. That is very kind of you," he finally said.

"But?" Cas asked with a smile, knowing that Dean wouldn't give up what he thought he needed to do so easily.

"But really Ash is a good guy and I don't think he'll do it again. I'll give him another chance," Dean told him, saying exactly what Cas had expected to hear.

"Alright. Give me a call should you change your mind. Now come on, let's go. I'm sure you can't wait to get back to your brother," Cas said and got up from the table, only now letting go of Dean's hand.

"Aren't you coming?" Dean asked and Cas looked at him in surprise.

"Do you want me to?"

"Yes. You're my friend and I don't know where I stand with Sam right now," was all Dean answered but Cas heard all the unspoken things about feeling lonely and being afraid. Things Dean would never say any clearer than right then.

"Well, then I'm curious to meet your brother," Cas replied with a smile and both men got into the elevator that would bring them up to Sam's floor and when the doors closed, Dean slipped his hand back into Cas', looking straight ahead as if this was the most natural thing in the world.


	15. Chapter 15

**I am so so sorry for not updating in so long. I have been extremely busy last week and then my sister visited for the weekend, so I hardly had time to write. But it should be better again now and I finally finished this chapter. I think I'll be able to update more frequently again. Thank you for your patience and your continued support and enjoy the chapter. Btw, Gabriel won the poll.  
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><p>When Dean and Cas arrived at Sam's room, the younger Winchester had apparently composed himself again and was eating now, too.<p>

"Oh my god, you have no idea how good this tastes," he told his brother between bites. The way he was shovelling the food into his mouth reminded Dean more of himself than of what he was used to from Sam.

"Well, you haven't eaten in a week, so I imagine anything would taste amazing to you now," Dean replied.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Sam agreed. "Who's your friend?" he then asked, looking at Cas.

"Oh, sorry, this is Castiel. Cas, this is my brother Sam," Dean introduced them somewhat awkwardly.

"Hi Cas. How do you know Dean?"

"Your brother saved my life," Cas answered sincerely, causing Dean to look down at the ground.

"Nah, come on. He wouldn't have killed you," he tried to attenuate the statement.

"No, what he had in mind would have been even worse," Cas said dryly and Dean didn't have anything to say in response because Cas was absolutely right.

After introductions had been made, Dean and Cas sat down by Sam's bed and talked all afternoon. Dean told Sam about his new life and about his roommate. Talking about Ash also reminded him that he needed to tell Cas that Ash had agreed to track down Bela, which he promptly did. Cas was thrilled that Ash would do that for him and hoped for fast results. Then he had to tell Sam about Bela and what she had done to him and Sam agreed that she deserved to be caught and rot in prison.

They had a lot to talk about. Sam told them a little about what he had done while Dean had been in prison. That he had started working for Bobby as an accountant to save some money for college. But then he had met Ruby and changed his plans. She had wanted to see the world and they had started by travelling through the country, taking small jobs when they needed money and enjoying their freedom.

The afternoon passed quickly and Dean and Cas stayed until Dr. Milton came and joined them. He just stood in the room with them for a while before he said anything, letting them finish their conversation.

"I need to borrow your brother now. I want to do some more scans to see what is going on inside that shaggy head of his," Gabriel said, winking at Sam.

"Okay, sure. We should probably leave now anyway," Dean replied. "Take care, Sammy. I'll come by again, tomorrow after work."

"Alright. And don't call me Sammy," Sam told him.

"If the scans are clear you can take him home in a few days. He'll only have to come back for a few check-ups then for a couple of weeks," Gabriel told Dean before he and Cas were out the door.

"Sounds good, doesn't it Sam?" Dean asked and turned to really leave, when Sam nodded in agreement.

"What am I gonna do with Sam?" Dean asked Cas as soon as they were out of earshot. "I can't take him home with me but he doesn't have anywhere else to go for now. Bobby lives too far away for regular check-ups."

Dean was desperate but Cas just smiled. "You know, my offer still stands. I have a big house with lots of space," he said, still smiling.

"Cas, I can't..." Dean started but Cas gave him a hard stare which made Dean shut up.

"Yes, you can. If not for yourself then do it for Sam. And for me," Cas said.

"For you?" Dean asked curiously.

"Yes, for me. I'm alone in a big house for the first time in years. It gets lonely," Cas admitted quietly.

"I...," Dean hesitated. Cas waited patiently for him to make up his mind.

"Okay. I'll call Missouri and explain the situation to her," Dean finally gave in and got out his phone. He told Missouri what was going on with Sam and that Cas had offered to give them a place to stay. Then he listened while Missouri talked. Finally he held out the phone to Cas.

"She wants to talk to you," he said and Cas took the phone from him and answered it. For a long time he simply listened to what Missouri had to say and Dean was standing beside him, anxiously waiting to hear about what she was telling Cas.

"Yes, that suits me fine," Cas finally replied to something Missouri had said and ended the call, handing the phone back to Dean.

"She's visiting me tomorrow to make sure I'm not a bad influence," he said and Dean chuckled.

"I'm not sure anyone could be a worse influence than Ash. This shouldn't be a problem."

"No, it shouldn't. You better start packing," Cas laughed. "Come on, I'll give you a ride home."

The next evening, after work, Dean went back to the hospital. It had gotten late at work. Adam had intentionally bumped into him, making him drop the heavy bucket he'd been carrying and the result was an extra hour of cleaning the mess of dead insects. But he had gotten it done eventually and gone straight to Sam.

It appeared that his brother hadn't been bored though. The trash can in his room was almost overflowing with candy wrappers, indicating that Dr. Milton had been there for quite a bit that day.

"What's with all the candy?" Dean asked when he pulled up a chair to sit with Sam, who was sitting up in bed, reading a book.

"Gabe says it's all Anna's fault. Anna is his sister and she's a nurse in the pediatric ward. She started making Gabe come over to entertain the kids and told him to bring some candy. The kids loved him and he keeps going there whenever he can and he always brings candy. And he started liking it himself," Sam explained and Dean was stunned. He hadn't expected such a detailed report about Dr. Milton. And why the hell did Sam call him 'Gabe'?

"Okay. So, when are they letting you out of here?" Dean decided to change the subject.

"Tomorrow. I'm losing my favorite patient tomorrow already," came Gabriel's voice from the door and the exaggerated disappointment made Sam break out into a goofy grin. Dean looked back and forth between the two of them but decided not to comment or ask any questions. Sam was clearly still medicated and Gabriel probably just got very attached to every patient he had.

"Well, in that case I'm gonna have to make a few calls to make sure that everything is ready for you," Dean said and got up. Or rather tried to get up. The chair moved with him, sticking to his butt. He sat back down, both confused and furious when his brother and Gabriel started laughing loudly.

"What the hell?" Dean exclaimed and pushed down on the chair with his hands while getting up again. Slowly this time, to make sure he got the chair off, without ripping his pants.

"Sorry, Dean-o," Gabriel said, still laughing. "I had to try this out before doing this to Anna in front of the kids."

"Why would you do that to your sister?" Dean asked.

"They expect me to. They call me a trickster and mostly I prank Anna, because she's my sister. She retaliates though. One time she somehow managed to infuse my favorite candy with a salt solution. I don't know how she did it. It tasted disgusting," Gabriel explained the situation. He made such a sad face when he talked about his sister ruining his candy that Dean had to laugh and he forgave Gabriel for the prank immediately.

"Here, you can use this to wipe away the glue residue," Gabriel said, holding out a cloth with a chemical smell.

Dean went into the next bathroom to take off his pants and get the glue off and when he returned to Sam, Gabriel had left.

"So, tomorrow," he muttered and Sam nodded. "Like I said, I gotta go and take care of a few things. I'll be back tomorrow after work to pick you up."

"Alright, Dean. Thanks," Sam answered and Dean left to call Missouri to tell her what was going on. She told him that she had visited Cas and had no objections and that Dean could move in with him as soon as Cas allowed.

Dean smiled and called Cas next. "Hi Cas. Guess what, I'm moving in tomorrow," he said and found himself actually looking forward to seeing much more of Cas so soon.


	16. Chapter 16

**Again, thank you all so much for all the reviews and alerts. Those things make me very happy. Okay, here's the new chapter and you'll finally get to 'see' Castiel's house. Enjoy.**

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><p>The next day Dean left work early. Missouri had cleared this with Michael so that Dean had some time to move. Adam had complained but in the end he'd had to suck it up and clean the van, which he'd driven over dirt roads on purpose, himself. It had given Dean a lot of satisfaction to hear Michael tell his son that he couldn't go home until the van was spotless.<p>

Cas picked him up from work and they drove to Dean's apartment building one last time to get his stuff and say goodbye to Ash. All things considered Ash had been a pretty cool roommate, although Dean wasn't too sad about saying goodbye. He still thought that Ash had the potential to drag people into some possibly illegal business without their knowledge.

Ash had taken it very well that Dean was leaving again so soon. Dean had talked to him the night before, hoping he would not take it personally or anything but he needn't have worried.

"Damn. Now I need to find a new player to finish level eight," was all Ash had had to say about the news, referring to the computer game 'Supernatural' he and Dean had sometimes played together. But since that had been his only concern, Dean hadn't felt bad when he had gone into his room to start packing his few belongings.

When Dean and Cas entered the apartment, Ash was sitting on the couch with a laptop and a bottle of beer. Cas had hoped to see Ash because he had some information for him. Ash had promised to try and find Bela but so far he had only hit dead-ends. He needed something more to go on, so Cas had put together a file with everything he could think of about Bela.

He had written down every piece of personal information he remembered. What books she read, what music she liked, which foods she was allergic to. And he had also included some official documents she had left behind, like their marriage certificate and some bank statements. He didn't know if those things helped but he didn't need them anyway and if there was a chance that Ash could use them to find her, he could have them.

Cas sat down next to Ash and gave him the file, while Dean went into his room to get his duffel bag and the one box he had packed the night before. Everything he owned was in there and it was a strange feeling to carry his entire life in his two hands at the moment. But he was looking forward to the future, to moving in with Cas. He hadn't really started to live again since he had gotten out of prison but he had a feeling that that was about to change.

"Dude this is amazing," Ash was telling Cas, when Dean came back into the living room with his things. Ash was flipping through the file Cas had given him, stopping every now and then to read a piece of information recorded there. "I'll definitely be able to find her with this. And I can set a trap for her and lure her back here, too, when I do. If you want me to, that is."

"Let me know when you find her and we'll see about everything else then, okay?" Cas told him and got up from the couch.

"Sure thing," Ash answered and immediately focused on his computer screen again. He hardly noticed the two men leaving the apartment.

Dean put his things in the trunk of Cas' car and they drove to Cas' house. They had decided to drop off Dean's things first, before picking up Sam. And also Cas had wanted to show Dean around alone first, for a reason he couldn't really explain. He was relieved that Dean hadn't questioned his plan because he wouldn't have known what to say.

At the house Dean left his things in the hallway and Cas gave him a tour. Cas lived in a two story house with a two-car garage attached to it and small backyard. It seemed like the perfect place to raise kids and Dean felt a sudden sadness, when he remembered what Cas had lost. But then Cas showed him around and Dean forgot about the past and instead was excited about the future, when he saw the place he would live in from now on.

From the hallway they got to the spacious living room which was furnished with a comfortable looking couch and an equally comfortable looking chair, facing a large TV-screen. And there were books, lots of books. Dean felt immediately like coming home when he saw that room. Next Cas took him to the kitchen, which was about the same size as the one he had shared with Ash but it was clean and didn't double as a living room. It did have a table and chairs though, so you could sit right there and enjoy whatever you had cooked.

After the kitchen Cas showed him a small bedroom. It wasn't much but it had everything a person needed and the bathroom was right next door.

"I'll go and get my stuff," Dean said and was almost out the door when Cas stopped him.

"Actually, I thought I'd give this room to Sam. He's only staying here temporarily, right?" Cas said and Dean nodded.

"Yes, just until he doesn't need any more tests at the hospital."

"That's what I thought. This used to be our guestroom. The bigger bedrooms are upstairs. I'll show them to you in a minute," Cas continued and led Dean to the last room that he hadn't yet seen. It was the only room with a closed door and when Cas opened it Dean was surprised. He didn't know what he had expected but certainly not a guitar and a piano in what seemed to be a music room.

"You play the piano?"

"I used to. I don't play much anymore since…" He stopped speaking and sat down in front of the instrument and put his fingers on the gleaming keys and after a moment started to play. It was a cute little song and Cas played it with his eyes closed.

"I used to play this for Claire when she couldn't sleep," he told Dean when he was done and Dean smiled warmly at him, certain that Claire had had no trouble sleeping after listening to her dad play this piece.

Cas stayed seated in front of the piano a little bit longer, apparently lost in his memories before he shook his head once to return to the present and got up.

"Come on, lets get your stuff and I'll show you the rest of the house," he said.

"Lead the way," Dean answered and they picked up the duffel bag and the box and went upstairs.

First Cas showed Dean where he would stay. The bedroom was quite a bit bigger than the one downstairs but also fully furnished. It was much more than Dean had expected and he'd definitely feel comfortable there. He put his things on the ground and looked around. In this room he had lots of space. Space he could fill with his new life.

Next Cas showed him his own bedroom and on the way they passed the second, bigger bathroom. Cas' bedroom was as big as the one Dean would stay in but it had a second room attached, which Cas used as his office. Otherwise the room looked almost the same as the one he'd given Dean with the only difference being the personal belongings filling the shelves and the pictures on the walls.

"This is it. Now you've seen the whole place," Cas said and he sounded a little unsure.

"It's amazing. Thank you so much for letting me move in here with you. And Sam, too," Dean answered and he really meant it. He was so grateful, he didn't know how to express it in words.

"It'll be nice having you around. Like I said, it gets lonely here," Cas replied. "But now we should probably go and pick up your brother, before the hospital kicks him out," he added with a smile.

The hospital hadn't kicked Sam out when they arrived but he was already waiting for them, ready to go. Gabriel was with him but he wasn't wearing his lab coat this time.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Dean said when they found them. "Especially you, doctor. Looks like your shift is over. We didn't mean to keep you away from home."

"Ah, don't worry about it. I practically live here anyway. And I couldn't leave without saying goodbye to my favorite patient," Gabriel answered and winked at Sam who just laughed nervously.

"Oh, okay. Is there anything we should know?" Dean asked.

"He should be fine. Make sure he doesn't hit his head. That seems like it could be a problem, considering his size." Sam glared at Gabriel who didn't seem bothered by it and continued talking. "Just make sure to bring him here at any sign that there might be something wrong. Sudden severe headaches, dizziness, nausea. Anything like that, you take him straight to the hospital and ask for me, okay?"

"Of course," Dean answered in a serious tone and Sam rolled his eyes.

"Come on guys, I'm not a baby. I'm gonna be fine. And I have your number, so if I feel strange I'll call you right away, Gabe."

"You better. And don't forget your next appointment. I'll see you in a few days," Gabriel told Sam and then waved goodbye to the three of them and disappeared in the maze of the hospital hallways.

"Okay, let's get going. I really want to get out of this place now," Sam said and Dean grinned. The three of them quickly left the hospital, only stopping on their way home to get a pizza for dinner.

Sam ate and then quickly disappeared in his room, saying he still needed a lot of rest. Dean and Cas stayed up for a while. They sat in the kitchen with a beer and talked for half the night and both of them felt good and comfortable about their new living situation. Eventually they, too, went to bed because they had work in the morning and that night Dean slept better than he had since he'd gotten out of prison. He finally felt like he'd found a place he could call home.


	17. Chapter 17

**Thank you all for reading and reviewing. It means a lot to me. Enjoy this chapter and don't worry too much. You'll see what I mean.  
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><p>When Dean woke up the morning the house was still dark and quiet. He moved around silently, not knowing what time Castiel had to get up in the morning and not wanting to wake him, if he could still sleep for a while longer. He didn't even turn on the light in the hallway, when he went to the bathroom. He didn't think the light would bother Cas but he didn't want to risk it. The man had been very kind to take him into his house and he wanted to be as considerate as possible and not disturb Cas' routine.<p>

When he was dressed for work he quietly went downstairs into the kitchen, again making as little noise as possible to not wake up Sam either. He looked through the cabinets in the kitchen to find coffee and see what else Cas had for breakfast. He quickly got coffee going and found some cereal and milk. That would be enough for him this morning. He didn't want take too much of Cas' food without talking about it with him first. They hadn't established any rules for living together yet.

He was just looking for a mug and a bowl, when heard someone walking into the kitchen behind him. It was Cas, who was already dressed for work, too, except for his feet. He was still barefoot and it made Dean smile for some reason when he noticed.

"Cereal? Seriously?" Cas asked and took the box from him and got three mugs from the appropriate cabinet and then opened another one, obviously looking for something and finally putting a box on the counter, the label facing away from Dean.

"You can take anything you like. And I really should have thrown this stuff out a while a go. It's old. Bela used to eat it. I have no idea why it's still even here," Cas said in a disgusted voice and dumped the cereal in the trash can. "How about pancakes instead?"

"Pancakes sound great," Dean answered and the look on his face confirmed that statement.

"Great," Cas said and started making the batter. "And don't worry about getting to work in time. I'll drive you," he added, anticipating what Dean's next concern would be.

Dean didn't say anything to that and poured the coffee and watched Cas making pancakes while he slowly drank from his steaming mug. There wasn't really anything he could do to help. Soon the kitchen was filled with the smell of fresh pancakes and Dean put some plates and syrup on the table.

The smell of food and coffee attracted Sam and he slowly walked into the kitchen, his eyes hardly open yet. He sat down heavily at the table and Dean filled a mug with coffee and pushed it across the table towards his brother. Sam wrapped his hands around it and started to drink, visibly waking up some more.

They all started to eat and Sam and Dean didn't stop until the pancakes were all gone. They were delicious. "I could get used to this," Sam joked and Dean and Cas smiled.

"Don't get too used to it. You're the only one not working. I thought you'd cook for us," Cas countered and all three of them laughed.

"Well, I'm still supposed to take things easy but I suppose I could heat a soup or order a pizza every now and then," Sam told them.

They would have kept squabbling like that for longer but Dean had to get to work and he and Cas left for the day, leaving the cleanup to Sam.

They quickly found a daily routine. They ate breakfast together, then Dean and Cas left for work and Sam stayed behind and actually did take care of some of the house work and sometimes even made dinner for the three of them. This arrangement worked well them, even if Dean grumbled about Sam including too much salad in the menus.

But other than that things were going well and Dean and Cas were looking forward to the weekend, to their free days. Saturday was also the day of Sam's appointment at the hospital for another check-up but it wasn't till noon. They slept in and took their time with breakfast, talking and making plans for the weekend.

Cas wanted to visit Ash and see what he had found out. They invited Sam to come along after his appointment but Sam declined, telling them he already had plans.

"Gabe gave me the last appointment in his shift and I'll spend the afternoon with him," he explained without looking either Dean or Cas in the eye.

"You and Gabe?" Dean almost shouted, not really sure what the hell was going on. "Isn't there some rule against a doctor going out with a patient?"

He wouldn't really mind if his brother turned out to be bi, since he swung both ways himself. But he wasn't sure if he liked Gabriel, the guy who had glued his ass to a chair.

"Dean! We're not going out. We're going to entertain the children in the pediatric ward," Sam told him defensively. "He told the kids he knew a giant," he added a bit embarrassed and Dean and Cas both burst into laughter. That way they missed that Sam also said he and Gabe might go out for something to eat after seeing the kids.

"Do you need a ride to the hospital?" Cas asked after a moment. "We could drop you off on our way to Ash."

"Thanks, but that won't be necessary. Anna is picking me up on her way to work," Sam said.

"Okay. Well, are you ready to go Dean?" Cas wanted to know. They were done eating and since they didn't need to worry about Sam they could leave early.

Their visit at Ash's didn't bring any new results. He did have a few leads but he didn't want to bring Cas' hope up before he knew anything for sure. They played 'Supernatural' with Ash for a while, since he hadn't found a new partner for it yet and managed to survive the level. Dean and Cas stayed until a guy joined them in the apartment and told them that he was Ash's new roommate. His name was Gordon and he immediately recognized the game they had been playing. When Dean and Cas left Ash and Gordon were already busy hunting vampires.

Back at home Cas drove the car into the garage but then he just sat there quietly for a moment, not making a move to get out. He wanted to do something, something he had planned a while ago but he wasn't sure if it was the right time.

"Cas? Is everything okay?" Dean asked, leaning closer and putting a hand on Cas' arm.

"Yeah, yeah," Cas answered and stopped worrying. Dean's touch felt good and he reached a decision.

"You spaced out there for a second," Dean continued, giving him a concerned look.

"Sorry, I'm fine. Come on, there's something I want to show you," he said and got out of the car and Dean did the same.

Cas went to the drawer in the corner of the garage, which held his tools and got an item out of it and presented it to Dean. Dean took it from his hand and inspected the item carefully.

"It's a '67 Chevy Impala. This is a model of my car," Dean said surprised.

"Yes, it is. The way you talked about the car gave me the feeling that it is really important to you, so after Sam's accident I made some inquiries and found your car. If you want you can get it back as soon as the police releases it. I already took care of everything. This model is just a symbol for it," Cas explained and Dean was momentarily speechless.

"Cas, this is amazing but I don't know if I can accept that. It's too much. I should have done this myself," Dean protested.

"Maybe, but you had a lot on your mind lately. You can see it as an early Christmas present if that makes it easier," Cas suggested and Dean smiled widely at him.

"Cas, I could kiss you right now," Dean said without thinking and immediately wished he could take it back. He didn't want to scare Cas with his thoughtless remark, especially since it was true.

But Cas just returned his smile and answered, "Then why don't you?"

But as soon as the words were out, his eyes widened in shock and he slapped a hand over his mouth. Then he turned around and disappeared into the house before Dean could say anything. Dean stayed in the garage for a bit, surprised and confused. He slowly followed Cas into the house, gently holding the model Impala in his hands.

Cas was nowhere in sight and when Dean got upstairs he saw that Cas' door was closed, which was a sight he usually only saw at night when Cas was sleeping. Dean was tempted to knock on his door and talk about what had just happened in the garage. He had been joking when he'd told Cas he could kiss him, but only because he hadn't expected Cas to react the way he had.

But in all honesty he wouldn't mind kissing Cas. He just didn't know if Cas had been serious with his answer and he was worried that Cas was now scared he might have crossed a line. Dean wished he could explain but he felt that he'd only push Cas further away, if he insisted on talking to him right now.

It wasn't very late yet but Dean also went into his room and closed the door behind him. He needed to give Cas some time now and he needed some time to think himself, too. What he needed was to figure out what he wanted to do, should he find out that Cas had actually been serious about wanting to kiss him. His decision could change a lot of things.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18. As of now this is the story with the most chapters I have published so far :D I couldn't have done it without your support, so thanks for that and I hope you're still enjoying it.**

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><p>When Dean woke up the next morning he was confident that he'd get to talk things out with Cas at breakfast. He heard something from the other end of the hallway and quickly got out of bed and opened his door, only to see Cas' door close again with Cas inside his room. Apparently he was still avoiding Dean and had brought some food upstairs with him.<p>

"Dammit," Dean muttered but decided to first eat something himself and then try to get Cas to talk.

He went downstairs into the kitchen and made himself breakfast. Nothing fancy, since he was on his own, just toast and coffee. Sam joined a few minutes later, stole some coffee from Dean and made his own toast, before he sat down at the table with his brother.

"How'd the tests go?" Dean asked and Sam quickly swallowed his bite before answering.

"Good. Everything seems fine. I have to go back again in two weeks and if everything is still okay, then I'll be considered healed," Sam answered.

"That's good. What are you going to do then?"

"I don't know. I haven't really thought about it yet," Sam admitted and Dean nodded.

"Well, I have. You can't stay here, it was only a temporary solution. So I think you should go back to Bobby's and work for him again," Dean told him and suddenly found himself looking at a shocked and angry Sam.

"You're trying to get rid of me?"

"What? No! But it is really generous of Cas to let you stay here, so you shouldn't stay longer than absolutely necessary," Dean explained and tried to stay calm.

"Oh, like you?" Sam spat and now Dean started getting angry, too.

"I'm paying rent," he shot back, raising his voice in warning. Okay, so he didn't really pay a whole lot of rent but it was all Cas would take. And it had been difficult enough to convince the guy to even take a little bit of money from Dean.

"And have you stopped to think that maybe I don't want to go away from here?"

"Be reasonable. Bobby lives just a few hours away. You could visit on the weekends. We still have a lot to talk about anyway," Dean answered but Sam was not satisfied with that.

"Typical. You always think everything is about you. This hasn't got anything to do with you," Sam yelled and got up from the table and stormed into his room. Dean followed him calling his name.

"Sam!"

"Go away," was the answer and Dean stopped. It was no use talking to Sam right now. They both needed to calm down. Dean returned to the kitchen and cleaned up the dishes from breakfast and then went upstairs to shower and get dressed for the day.

He felt much calmer when he came out of the bathroom and decided to try and talk to Cas. He walked over and gently knocked on the door.

"Cas?" There was no answer. "Cas, can we talk please?"

"Dean…not yet, okay," Cas said through the closed door and even though the answer was negative, Dean was glad to have gotten an answer at all.

"You can't avoid me forever," Dean told him, almost desperate to get an answer from Cas.

"I know. Just…not now. Please," Cas answered and Dean hung his head in defeat. He wouldn't push Cas, even though he didn't like the situation. Especially now that his brother wasn't talking him anymore, either.

Dean went into his room and tried to read but he couldn't really concentrate on the words and he put the book away again. For a while he just sat there, staring out the window until he felt ready to crawl up the walls. This was ridiculous, he would at least try to talk to Sam again. With this decision made he went downstairs to see his brother grab a jacket and heading to the front door.

"Where are you going?" Dean demanded, annoyed that Sam rather ran away from him than talk about everything.

"None of your business," Sam told him and went outside, where a car was already waiting for him. He got in and the car started and left. As they passed Dean he thought he recognized the driver. He had looked suspiciously like Gabriel.

"Son of a bitch," Dean yelled and then grabbed his own jacket and went outside into the backyard. He needed something to do and he had seen earlier that the fence was starting to fall apart in places and needed to be fixed. So he got the tools from the garage and got to work, venting all his anger and frustration in the process. He didn't notice Cas watching him from the upstairs window.

Two hours later the fence was fixed and Dean went back inside to clean himself up and then try to talk to Cas again. But as soon as he stepped inside a delicious smell lured him into the kitchen where he found Cas sitting at the table with coffee and a freshly baked pie. It was clearly a peace offering and it made Dean speechless for a moment.

"I'm sorry for my childish behavior, Dean. Can you forgive me?" Cas asked quietly, looking up at Dean.

"Of course. I could never be mad at you," Dean answered with a gentle smile. "Cas…I'll be right back. I just need to get some clean clothes," he said and then stood there for a moment longer, reluctant to leave Cas for even five minutes, now that they were talking again.

He hurried with changing and washing and was back in the kitchen in no time. Cas had already cut the pie into pieces and served a slice to Dean and one to himself.

"I remembered that the first thing you wanted to eat when you got out of prison was a cheeseburger and then pie. When I saw you fixing that fence for me I thought you deserved a treat so I made pie. I hope you like it," Cas said carefully.

"It smells delicious. If it tastes even half as good it'll be amazing," Dean said and took his fork to try the pie. Cas waited anxiously for Dean to try his slice and watched the fork cut off a small part of the pastry and then followed it with his eyes until it disappeared between Dean's lips. It was mesmerizing.

"You're staring," Dean startled him out of his trance-like state. He was smiling but Cas blushed anyway.

"I'm sorry, I…" he didn't know what to say and looked away.

"Don't worry. The pie is delicious by the way. You should try it," Dean encouraged him and finished his slice. Cas slowly started to eat and while he ate his slice of pie Dean helped himself to a second piece.

"I'm sorry I ran away like that yesterday," Cas said when they had both stopped eating. "I just freaked out. I shouldn't have said what I said but I wasn't thinking. And running away didn't make things better."

"No Cas. If you want to blame someone, blame me. I shouldn't have said what I said. I started it," Dean told him.

"So, you didn't mean what you said?" Cas asked with big blue eyes and then got up to put the leftover pie in the fridge, so he wouldn't have to look at Dean while he answered.

"That's not what I meant. But it started this whole mess. But I guess you didn't mean what you said then," Dean answered, trying very hard to keep the disappointment out of his voice.

"I…," Cas closed the door and took a deep breath and Dean got up and slowly walked over to him. "Actually, I did mean it."

"You did?" Dean asked very quietly and suddenly hopeful.

"Yes. That's what scared me," Cas admitted, looking at the floor rather than at Dean.

"And are you still scared?"

"I thought about it and realized that it was just the surprise that made me run. So no, I'm not scared anymore," Cas told him calmly and raised his eyes to look directly at Dean, who took a step closer.

"Are you sure?" Dean wanted to know as he reached out to put his palm against Cas' cheek.

"Absolutely," Cas answered, leaning into the touch.

Slowly Dean moved in closer and with his hand tilted Cas' face just right, so he could place a soft kiss on his lips. He pulled away again immediately to see Cas' reaction but Cas didn't look spooked at all. He had fisted his hand in Dean's shirt and now he used it to pull Dean back in closer. He put his other hand on the back of Dean's neck and pulled his head down so he could kiss him again.

Cas parted his lips a little bit and Dean got the hint and did the same so their tongues could meet, slowly, carefully dancing around each other, getting to know the other in a new, intimate way. The kiss stayed slow and gentle and yet Dean felt like it was the best kiss he had ever had. And he would have kept on kissing Cas for a long time, because it felt good and right and Dean couldn't imagine doing anything else.

Unfortunately Sam chose that moment to come back and when he stomped into the kitchen, Cas pulled away from Dean but Dean put his arm around his waist and kept him close.

"Dammit," Dean said and Cas blushed again but smiled at Dean warmly.

"What were you doing?" Sam asked with raised eyebrows.

"Eating pie," Dean answered innocently and it wasn't even technically a lie.

"There's some for you in the fridge if you want," Cas told him and Sam nodded slowly and slightly confused. He hadn't expected that there actually was pie.

"Yes, go ahead, Sammy," Dean agreed. "We'll be upstairs," he added with a smug smile and pulled Cas out of the kitchen and towards the stairs.


	19. Chapter 19

**This chapter is a little bit shorter than the last few but it's full of fluff and chick-flick-moments, so I hope that makes up for. Enjoy reading.**

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><p>When they reached the top of the staircase they both hesitated.<p>

"What now?" Dean asked softly and pulled Cas closer against him, turning him so he could look directly into his eyes.

"My room," Cas whispered back, nuzzling Dean's neck.

Dean moaned quietly and with a low chuckle Cas stepped back and, taking Dean's hand, pulled him towards his bedroom.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Cas turned around to face Dean and pressed his body close to Dean's, tilting his head up for another kiss. Dean complied eagerly and his arms went around Cas' body, holding him tightly as they kissed for a long time.

"Had I known I would get this reaction I would have suggested kissing you much sooner," Dean said, smiling at Cas when they finally separated.

"I don't know if you would have gotten this reaction any sooner, Dean. I think your timing was just right," Cas replied and let go of Dean to sit down on the edge of his bed, waiting for Dean to join him there.

"I see," Dean said and sat down next to Cas, taking his hands and entwining their fingers, their knees touching.

"Do you?" Cas asked skeptically.

"Yes, I mean, you were married to a woman for a long time and you've gone through a lot of crap recently, so getting into a new relationship would be difficult for anyone in your situation. But you're starting something with me and I'm not a woman, though I can understand why you would choose me over all other men," Dean smirked at Cas as he said that and Cas playfully punched his arm.

He was starting to laugh and said, "Dean," but Dean didn't hear him and kept on rambling.

"I understand that Cas and I understand that it might still be confusing but I…" Dean finally stopped when he realized that Cas was laughing and kept saying his name, trying to get through to him.

"Dean, I'm bi," Cas told him when Dean was quiet and his confession was rewarded with a very surprised and slowly blushing face looking back at him.

"You are?" Dean asked, dumbstruck.

"Yes! Okay, I've only ever had relationships with women before but I did experiment in college and I have no problem with being with another man," Cas explained. "Especially not when that man is you," he added softly. "Because you are a good man with a big heart and you'd give everything for you friends and family."

Dean was speechless but it didn't matter because Cas leaned closer and sealed his mouth with a kiss, freeing one of his hands to touch Dean's face. When Dean tried to pull away, probably to say something like how holding up a store was not a good thing or that this was too close to a chick-flick-moment, Cas almost growled and held on to him tighter. Dean gave in and relaxed against Cas and the kiss intensified.

After a while they moved further onto the bed and lay down, getting comfortable in each others' arms. They were just looking at each other for a long time, enjoying the other's presence when Dean broke the silence.

"You becoming my cellmate was the best thing that has happened to me in a while," he whispered.

Cas smiled at him. "I can't exactly say the same thing, though it did turn out alright in the end," he answered and pressed his forehead against Dean's. They stayed like this until there was a knock on the door.

"Hey, umm, I made some dinner, so if you're not too busy with…if you're hungry, just come downstairs," Sam called through the door a little awkwardly, not sure what exactly was going on, on the other side. He didn't wait for an answer, afraid he might hear something he wouldn't be able to forget.

Dean groaned and Cas chuckled. They both didn't really want to get up but at the thought of food Dean's traitor of a stomach growled loudly and Cas chuckled some more. Dean had to admit that two slices of pie would not be enough for the entire night and reluctantly he pushed himself up on his elbows.

Cas smiled up at him and instead of getting up Dean leaned down again to kiss Cas, forgetting about dinner again. But Cas didn't and after kissing for a few minutes he pushed Dean off himself and sat up.

"Dean, we should go downstairs to eat. You're brother's probably waiting for us," Cas said but Dean only groaned and started kissing along Cas' jaw.

"Let him wait, I don't care," he mumbled.

"But I do," Cas told him with a happy little laugh and swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood up. "I don't want the grumbling of your stomach to keep me up all night."

"Well, in that case I guess I have to go. Don't want to ruin your beauty sleep," Dean teased and with his arm around Cas shoulder they made their way into the kitchen.

Sam had made spaghetti and a green salad and they ate in almost complete silence after Cas' comment about the food being great. There was a lot of tension between, especially Sam and Dean, for several reasons. There was the fight they'd had earlier, then Sam running away with Gabriel and also Sam interrupting Dean and Cas in the kitchen and he was now unsure what that meant.

When they were done eating Dean and Cas cleared the table and put the plates in the sink. They were about to leave the kitchen to go back upstairs together when Sam called Dean back.

"Dean, can I talk to you? Alone?" he asked and Dean looked at Cas first who nodded and left the two brothers alone in the kitchen.

"Okay, what do you want to talk about?"

"I thought about what you said this morning. And I realized that you were right, I can't stay here. But I don't want to leave town either, so when I was with Gabe today I talked to him about it and we found a solution," Sam started to explain.

"Wait. What is going on between you and Gabriel?" Dean wanted to know.

"I…don't know yet. It all feels so strange and new. I mean, I just lost Ruby and I think that I should be sad and feel guilty about what's going on with Gabe but I don't feel any of that and it confuses me. But then she started the argument, which maybe didn't cause the accident but it distracted me and maybe if she hadn't, I could have avoided it." Sam stopped to take a breath.

"Sam, you don't know that," Dean told him.

"She didn't want me to pick you up that day. That's what our argument was about," Sam said quickly and Dean stared at him blankly for a moment before the meaning registered.

"Oh," he said and Sam nodded.

"Yeah."

There was silence between them while they both thought about Sam's words. Finally Sam started talking again but he avoided mentioning Ruby again.

"Anyway, I talked to Gabe about having to move out here soon and we found a solution. He's living with his sister and they have a roommate who is moving out next week and I can move in with them. After my last appointment of course, so Gabe is no longer my doctor. And until then I have time to find a job so I can pay my rent. Look, I know you don't like Gabe very much and I guess he really shouldn't have glued your ass to the chair. But I don't know what is going on between us and I would like to stay here to find out."

"I understand," Dean said. "Okay, it's your life and if that's what you want, I'm fine with it. I just wanted to help and thought going to Bobby's would give you time to figure out what you want to do. But you already have."

"Yeah, I have," Sam agreed and there was another moment of silence, which was again broken by Sam.

"So, you and Cas?" he asked teasingly.

"I guess so," Dean answered with a smile. "Speaking of whom…I should go now. Goodnight Sammy." Dean quickly walked up the stairs but not quickly enough to miss Sam complaining about the nickname. Dean smiled, that would never get old.

He quickly went into the bathroom to change and brush his teeth. When he left the bathroom, Cas was standing in the door to his bedroom.

"I hope your weren't planning on going back to your own room tonight," he said softly and smiled.

"That thought never even crossed my mind," Dean answered and walked towards Cas.


	20. Chapter 20

**Thank you all for all the reviews and alerts. It's so good to know you're enjoying this story. This chapter has a lot of Dean and Cas alone-time in and finally some 'action'. I'm sure you've all been waiting for this. Enjoy the chapter.**

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><p>As soon as Dean closed the door behind him, Cas pulled him into a tight embrace. He kissed and licked a trail up to Dean's earlobe, which he gently took between his teeth before putting his mouth right next to Dean's ear.<p>

"What did Sam want?" he whispered and the breath ghosting over his ear made Dean shudder.

"He told me he's moving out after his next appointment in two weeks. He's moving in with Gabriel and his sister," Dean answered, slowly walking them towards Cas' bed.

"And you're okay with that?" Cas asked, knowing that Dean wasn't too fond of Gabriel.

"He's an adult," Dean shrugged and then Cas hit the edge of the bed with the back of his legs and their momentum made them both tumble down onto the bed, Dean landing on top of Cas. "And also it means we'll have the house to ourselves," he added as he covered Cas' mouth with his and passionately kissed him.

"Good point," Cas moaned rather than said, as Dean's mouth moved to his jaw, then down his neck to his collarbone and as far down as the shirt he was wearing allowed. Dean's hands roamed freely across Cas' chest, slowly pulling the shirt up inch by inch. But when one hand moved even lower, Cas stiffened a little and quickly caught the hand before it reached his groin.

Dean stopped immediately and looked up at Cas. "Too soon?" he asked softly and Cas nodded.

"Yes. That…and your brother hasn't moved out yet. He's right below us," Cas explained and Dean rolled off his lover and settled in bed beside him.

"It's okay, we have time. No rush," Dean told him and they kissed again for a long time before falling asleep beside each other.

The next week went by in a similar pattern. All three of them had breakfast together, then Dean and Cas went to work and Sam spent time with Gabriel whenever possible. Then in the evening, when Sam was home, he made dinner and they all ate together and then talked or watched a movie, before Dean and Cas went upstairs and spent the night together.

Since the first time they'd kissed, Dean hadn't slept in his own room again but they hadn't gone any further than that first night. Cas wasn't comfortable with anything else, at least not as long as Sam was still in the house. But that would soon change, as Sam told them that night during dinner.

"It's pretty much set now. When my scans are clear I'll move out next week and Gabe is confident that everything will be fine," Sam said when he served dessert. It wasn't pie but it was ice-cream, which was almost as good. "And I found a job. A lawyer downtown was looking for an assistant and hired me. So you see, I'll be fine. I have a place to stay and I have a job to pay the rent."

"Good for you," Dean said in a neutral voice. He was trying to be happy for Sam, now that things seemed to be working out fine for him but it was difficult getting over the fact that he was moving in with Gabriel. He didn't fully trust the guy, he was strange. Even though he had taken good care of Sam while he'd been in a coma, which Dean greatly appreciated, he was afraid that Gabriel might somehow take advantage of his brother. He just didn't want to see his brother get hurt. But Sam was old enough to make his own decisions and Dean had to accept that, like it or not.

The days until Sam's appointment at the hospital passed quickly and when he returned that evening he had a huge grin on his face. "Everything is fine. I'm okay," he told Dean and Cas who were comfortably stretched out on the couch together, watching some TV.

"That's great news," Dean said happily, relieved to know that his brother hadn't sustained any permanent damage or complications from his accident.

"Dean is right. That is good news," Cas agreed. "So, what are you going to do now?"

"I'm going to start pack my things. Gabriel is picking me up in the morning so I can move into my new home. Thanks for letting me stay here, Cas," he answered and went into the small guest room he occupied.

"Hmm, tomorrow we'll have the house completely to ourselves. Any ideas what you want to do then?" Dean asked in a husky voice.

"I think I can think of something," Cas answered suggestively and turned his head a little so he could kiss Dean, hinting at what he had in mind for the next day.

The next evening Dean came home from work pretty late. He'd had some trouble with Adam again and those days were always longer. Even after over a month Adam still hadn't stopped making Dean's life hard whenever he could and Dean was getting fed up with the kid. But there wasn't much he could do about it.

Also he had had to take the bus home because Cas couldn't always pick him up after work and when he finally entered the house he was exhausted and looking forward to a nice evening with Cas. The house was quiet which surprised Dean. Even though his brother was gone now, he had expected to find Cas at home by now. He went looking for him and found a note on the kitchen table.

_Meet me in the garage. ~ Cas_

That was all it said. It made Dean curious and he followed the instruction at once, stopping dead in his tracks, eyes and mouth wide open when he opened the garage door. Cas was standing there, leaning against what was left of the Impala after the accident.

"I'm sorry she's in such a bad state," Cas said softly, misinterpreting Dean's expression.

"No, that's not it. I can fix her," Dean quickly cleared that up and Cas relaxed. He'd been worried Dean might be upset at seeing his car like that. "You are awesome, Cas."

Before Cas could reply to that he felt himself being pushed back against the side of the wrecked car and Dean's mouth covered his. The kiss was deep, passionate and demanding and Cas didn't mind one bit. He had been so worried Dean would be upset. This reaction was much better and he met Dean's tongue with his own, just as passionate.

When the kiss ended they were both out of breath. Dean pressed close against Cas and Cas put his arms around him, holding his lover tightly. Dean licked a trail along Cas' neck, making Cas moan softly. Then he suddenly dropped down to his knees in front of Cas and palmed his lover's groin before Cas had the chance to protest.

Not that Cas would have wanted to protest because what Dean was doing, he was currently unbuttoning Cas' slacks, felt way too good to stop him. When Dean pulled down Cas' pants and boxers, Cas was already hard and Dean was slowly stroking along his length, looking up at him for the first time since their kiss.

Cas nodded at him when Dean kept looking up, realizing that he was waiting for a reaction from him, not wanting to do anything Cas didn't want. The nod made Dean grin and he licked along the underside of Cas' cock and then quickly took him into his mouth. He started slowly, sucking gently and stroking him with his tongue as well as he could.

But he soon picked up the pace and braced his hands against Cas' hips, as Cas wound his fingers into Dean's hair, involuntary trying to pull him down further, since Dean's hands prevented him from bucking his hips. Cas' breathing became ragged and he moaned loudly, indicating that he was nearing release.

This only spurred Dean on to suck even harder and he took Cas as deep into his mouth as he could when he could sense the beginning of Cas' orgasm.

"Dean," Cas gasped as he came. "Dean." He almost screamed the name the second time and it made Dean smile as much as he could around Cas' cock, while swallowing at the same time. Finally Cas slumped against the car and Dean let him slip out of his mouth.

After taking a few deep breaths Cas had regained enough strength to reach out for Dean and he gently pulled him back up to his feet. Dean immediately leaned against Cas and wrapped his arms around him, feeling his still heavy breathing and fast beating heart as Cas rested his head on Dean's shoulder, relying on Dean's arms around him to keep him upright for the moment.

They stayed like this for a few minutes until Cas lifted his head to kiss Dean, tasting himself on Dean's tongue. They both enjoyed the kiss, which was now slower, almost lazy, but when Dean shifted his weight a little Cas was reminded that Dean had not had his release yet and he broke the kiss and pushed himself away from the car. He quickly bent down to pull up his pants and then leaned forward for another quick kiss.

"Let's go inside, find someplace more comfortable than this, so I can return the favor," he whispered huskily and Dean thought his knees might buckle when he looked at the beautiful lips in front him, swollen and wet from their kisses, and imagined them wrapped around his cock.

"Good idea," he whispered back and took Cas' hand to pull him along into the house. When he headed for the stairs though, Cas stopped him.

"There's no need to go upstairs. We're alone, remember?" he said and pushed Dean down onto the couch.

"You're right," Dean answered with a smile and followed that statement with a moan when Cas started to undress him.


	21. Chapter 21

**Over 200 reviews. For some reason I was very excited about that, so thank you all for making that happen :D This chapter was a bit difficult to write, I couldn't find a beginning and got stuck a few times but in the end it worked out, I think. And the chapter turned out quite long and I couldn't even fit allmy ideas in. They'll go in the next chapter then. I hope you enjoy this one.**

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><p>"Mmm morning," Dean mumbled sleepily. It was Sunday morning and it was still very early but Cas' hand travelling down his naked chest and settling on his hipbone had woken him up.<p>

"Morning handsome," Cas answered and leaned in closer to kiss Dean softly on the lips. Dean put his arm around his lover and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss and rolling them over until he was lying on top of Cas.

"Let's just spend the entire day in bed," Dean whispered, looking into Cas' eyes and stroking the side of his face. Just in that moment his stomach growled loudly and Dean grimaced while he could feel Cas shaking with silent laughter beneath him. "Okay, maybe not the entire day," he conceded. For the moment he ignored his stomach though and rather kept on kissing Cas, which Cas seemed to enjoy very much. They both liked the morning sex on their free days.

Unfortunately Cas' phone started ringing then and even though he tried his best to ignore it Dean could tell he was distracted and wanted to answer it.

"Go," Dean encouraged and rolled off his partner after another quick kiss. Cas sighed and then got out of bed and hurried to find his phone. Dean watched him go, enjoying the view of Cas' naked backside. Cas felt Dean's eyes on him and let his hips sway more than usually and bent over provocatively to pick up his phone. Dean smiled and almost moaned at Cas' graceful motions. His hand slid down his body to start stroking his cock. He couldn't wait for Cas to join him in bed again.

"Ash?" Cas asked when he finally found his phone and Dean stopped what he had been doing and sat up, paying attention to Cas' side of the conversation. If Ash called Cas and not Dean this was probably about Bela.

"Really? Are you sure?" Cas said, sounding excited. "That is great news. What is the next step?" he asked after listening for a moment. "Yes, that works. I'll see you soon." The call was over and Cas put his phone away and turned to Dean with an apologetic look on his face.

"It's about Bela, isn't it?" Dean asked and Cas nodded.

"Yes. Ash found her and wants to talk to me about a strategy to lure her back here. I'm leaving in an hour."

"It's okay, Cas. We'll continue here later then," Dean told him with a warm smile. He knew how important it was for Cas to finally have some closure and if catching Bela would provide that he wouldn't stand in the way. Cas looked relieved at Dean's reaction and started to get dressed and Dean got out of bed, too, so they could have breakfast together.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Dean asked when they were sitting in the kitchen.

"You can come if you want to but you don't have to. I know the car parts you've been waiting for came yesterday. I'd understand if you'd rather stay here to work on the Impala," Cas answered and Dean thought about it.

"You're right, I'd love to get to work on her and I haven't got much time for it. Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"Yes, Dean. I'm just going to be across town to talk to Ash. I'm not leaving the country to drag Bela back here myself," Cas said with a chuckle.

"Sorry, I just…Never mind," Dean said quietly and Cas reached across the table to take Dean's hand.

"It's okay. I love it that you're so protective of the people care about. You don't have to apologize for it. But you don't have to worry about me today, I'll be fine and I probably won't be gone long."

They finished their breakfast and the Cas left and Dean went into the garage to take care of his baby. He hadn't spent much time with her since Cas had gotten her back for him and he felt almost guilty for neglecting her like that. He knew it was a ridiculous feeling but he couldn't help it and it was nice to have some time to just take care of the Impala. The new parts he had gotten would make a big difference and eventually she'd be as good as new. And then he would take Cas for a drive.

For several hours he worked and made quite some progress. Of course it was still a long way until his baby was back to her former glory but the worst traces of the accident were gone and soon she'd be running again, even if she didn't look all pretty yet. He completely forgot about the time while he was working and it also took him a while to realize that Cas was in the garage with him, watching him.

"Hi, how long have you been back?" he asked when he finally noticed his partner.

"A bit. I enjoy watching you work," Cas answered.

"Sorry, I didn't see you there before," Dean told him but Cas just smiled.

"Don't worry about it. I could have said something to let you know I'm back. But were concentrating so much on your work and, like I said, I like watching you."

"Right, good. So, what did you and Ash come up with?" Dean asked.

"Mostly Ash needed me to confirm some information he found and he showed me some pictures he had lifted off of security footage at some hotel in the Caribbean but he wasn't sure whether that really was Bela. I could tell him that it was indeed Bela and then we came up with some ideas to make her come back here. Ash is working out the details and then we'll see if it works."

"That sounds good. Finally some progress, hm?" Dean said and Cas smiled and nodded. They were both quiet for a while, lost in their own thoughts about what the future would hold for Bela.

"So, how much longer do you need here?" Cas finally wanted to know, changing the subject.

"I was just about to stop for the day," Dean told him.

"Good. That gives you enough time to clean up before we go over to Sam and Gabriel. Remember that they invited us for dinner?" Cas asked and Dean groaned quietly. He had forgotten and had already been looking forward to a quiet evening alone with Cas. But they had promised to visit and he wanted to see his brother again and was curious to see how he lived.

"I forgot. But you're right. I should probably clean up before we go," Dean agreed, looking down at himself. He had oil stains on his work clothes and his hands were black and greasy. Probably his face and hair didn't look much better.

"I'd be happy to help you," Cas offered with a wink and Dean didn't need to hear that twice. He quickly cleared all the tools away and followed Cas inside the house and upstairs into the bathroom.

They quickly stripped out of their clothes and stepped into the shower and soon Dean was clean and ready to get dirty with Cas. After all they had been interrupted in the morning and Cas spreading soap on his body was very arousing for Dean and moments later he had Cas pressed against the wall and was thrusting up into him. They stayed in the shower until they were both leaning against each other, breathing heavily but feeling satisfied and happy, and they had used up all the hot water.

They got out of the shower and, upon seeing the time, hurried to get dressed and then left to see Sam. The drive was short and only a few minutes later Cas parked the car in the driveway of nice-looking house. They got out of the car and the door opened and Sam and Gabriel were standing there, waiting for Dean and Cas to walk up to the door. Gabriel had his arm slung around Sam's waist and they looked comfortable and relaxed together.

When he saw how happy Sam looked, Dean decided to give Gabriel a chance. They went inside and Sam showed Dean and Cas around the house, while Gabriel set the table. Sam's room was a decent size and he had started to fill every available surface with books. It looked very much like a room Dean would have imagined Sam to have.

After the tour of the house they returned to the dining room where the food was already on the table. Sam had cooked steaks, knowing Dean would like that and they sat down and ate in almost total silence. When Dean had finally finished his steak he was ready to talk.

"That was delicious, Sam," he said and Sam nodded and accepted the compliment. "So, how is your job going?"

"It's great. It's very interesting and I'm learning a lot of new things. I think I want to go to law school when I have enough money to cover tuition," Sam told them enthusiastically and was about to tell them exactly what he did in his job but Gabriel used the short break to say something and stop Sam before he bored them all to sleep.

"I told you I would help you out, so you could go to school right away," he said in a somewhat annoyed voice, making it clear he had offered several times before.

"Gabriel, we talked about this. I want to do this on my own," Sam answered sounding equally annoyed.

"I know, I just want you to be happy," Gabriel replied.

"I am happy. I need to do this my way. At least for the first year." That seemed to be a compromise they had reached, Dean realized and he wondered if Sam and Gabe had started this argument for his sake.

"I know, I know," Gabriel sighed. "Okay, who wants desert? We have ice-cream," he then announced cheerfully and everyone wanted some. Gabriel disappeared into the kitchen to get the ice-cream and Sam turned to Dean.

"So, what do you think?" he asked, genuinely interested in his brother's opinion.

"I think things are going well for you. Gabriel seems to be good for you. If you're happy, then I guess I can learn to like him," Dean said and Sam's face lit up, making Dean realize how much his approval meant to Sam. Underneath the table Cas squeezed his leg, telling Dean that he was doing the right thing.

"Thanks," Sam mouthed when Gabriel returned with a tray, laden with four bowls full of ice-cream which was covered in whipped cream, chocolate sauce and sprinkles. They all laughed when they saw it but they enjoyed the ice-cream and after dinner Dean and Cas stayed for a while and they talked and joked and had a good time together.

Finally, when Dean and Cas left, Sam and Gabriel walked them to the door and stood arm in arm while the other two men pulled on their coats.

"I saved some of the whipped cream for later," Gabriel whispered in a seductive voice when Dean and Cas were just about to leave and he'd spoken just loud enough for Dean to hear it. Cas firmly gripped Dean's hand and pulled him towards the car when he felt his partner tense, whispering promises for later to him to prevent this great night ending in a disaster after all.


	22. Chapter 22

**It's late and I'm tired, so I hope I didn't miss too many mistakes. Thank you all for reading, reviewing, alerting and favoriting and I hope you'll enjoy the chapter.**

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><p>Dean and Cas were sitting in the kitchen having dinner together after a long day of work, when the doorbell rang.<p>

"Are you expecting anyone?" Dean asked and Cas shook his head and pushed away from the table.

"Only one way to find out who it is," he said with a smile and went to the front door, closely followed by Dean who couldn't fight his curiosity.

When Cas opened the door they found a stunning woman standing there, accompanied by a serious looking man in a suit, who was holding a briefcase. Cas went still in shock when he saw her.

"Bela," he breathed, barely audible.

"Hi honey. I'm home," she answered with an evil smile. Dean didn't need long to understand what was going on. Apparently Ash's plan had worked but not exactly in the way they had hoped. Otherwise Bela would be in custody and not standing in front of their door, looking like she belonged there.

"What do you want?" Dean asked, when it became clear to him that Cas wasn't capable of saying anything at the moment, too surprised by his ex-wife's sudden appearance.

"I just want what's mine," she answered sweetly and the tone of her voice made Dean's skin crawl. This would not be good.

"And what would that be?" he had no choice but to ask because it seemed that Bela would not continue speaking on her own, enjoying the situation too much.

"The house, of course," she told them.

"The house? No way. This is Cas' house," Dean told her when Cas still didn't say anything.

"I think you will find that it actually belongs to me," she said calmly, holding out her hand to the man next to her, who produced a file from his briefcase and handed it to her. "You see, when my dear husband was in prison and I got the divorce I made sure that I would get what I wanted in the divorce settlement. Which was of course everything. With my husband being a convicted felon that wasn't too hard. Now that all charges against me have been dropped and Zachariah has been ruled the sole offender I am back and I want my house."

"What?" Dean asked. He had expected many mean things from her but this took things so far that he didn't know how to reply.

"It's all in the papers. I expect you two to vacate my house. You have one week," she said and held the file out to him, dropping it to the ground when he refused to take it. With that she and the man in the suit turned and left, leaving behind Dean and Cas who both stared after them in shock.

"Bitch," Dean yelled after her but she only laughed and waved as she got into her car.

Cas turned without saying one word and went inside the house. Dean quickly picked up the file Bela had dropped and then closed the door, following Cas inside. He didn't find Cas right away, not until he heard the piano and looked to the closed door of the music room, which Cas hardly ever used. He hesitated a moment, listening to the melancholy song Cas was playing, then he put down the file and went to Cas, who didn't look up at all when he entered.

Dean stood right behind him and gently placed a hand on Cas' shoulder and finally Cas stopped playing and looked up at his partner.

"Are you okay?" Dean asked softly.

"I will be. Sorry, she just took me by surprise. Just let me have a few minutes in here alone before she takes everything from me that I have left," Cas answered, sounding resigned to his fate.

"She won't. She can't. We won't let her," Dean told him hotly, trying to get him to snap out of his current state. Cas didn't answer and just started playing the piano again. Dean listened for another moment before he turned toward the door. Before he stepped out of the room he looked at Cas once more.

"You'll always have me," he said quietly but loud enough for Cas to hear over the music. Cas didn't stop playing, so Dean left him alone and closed the door behind him. He paced around the living room for a while before sitting down to read through the file Bela had left behind. It all looked genuine to him though he was sure it couldn't be. There had to be a way to keep Bela from taking the house away from Cas and with it all memories of Claire he had left.

After putting away the file, which held no answers for him at the moment, he got out his phone to call the only person he knew, who could explain to him how they had gotten into this mess.

"Ash? It's Dean. What the hell happened with your plan to make Bela come back? Why is she moving around here without any fear, trying to take the house away from Cas?" he asked, hardly able to control his anger about this all.

"I don't know, Dean. I'm terribly sorry. With all the money she stole she must have paid someone to manipulate the records. I'll fix it, I promise," Ash told him.

Dean could hear that he really was surprised by this development and that he truly was sorry, so he made an effort to stay calm. "Okay. But, Ash? Whatever you do, do it fast. She gave us a week to leave the house."

"You know I am the best person for this job. But a week isn't much, if she has someone working against me. You might want to contact a lawyer about the house issue," Ash said and then disconnected without saying goodbye.

Dean stared at the phone for a second, then he looked up Sam's number and dialed. It took a long time but finally Sam picked up.

"Yeah," he said, sounding a bit out of breath.

"Hi, Sam. What where you doing just now?" Dean asked and when Sam hesitated he quickly added, "You know, on second thought, I don't really want to know."

"I was working out, Dean," Sam said sounding a bit annoyed and Dean could imagine the look on his face very well. He'd gotten his fair share of Sam's bitchfaces when he'd taken care of his brother after their father was gone.

"Right," he said, not entirely believing Sam but not wanting to question it either. It was none of his business really, no matter how much he worried about his baby brother. Then he told Sam what had happened this evening and about the ultimatum Bela had issued. Sam thought for a moment and then promised to talk to his boss about the problem. Dean told him he'd bring the papers to him right the next morning so his boss could take a look.

Then Dean thought he could hear Gabriel calling for Sam in the background and quickly ended the call since all the important things had been said. There would be better times for the brothers to talk some more, when they were alone and there was no trouble for either of them.

Dean put his phone on the table with the file and rested his head in his hands. He hated having to rely on others to fix something but there was nothing he could do. He only hoped Ash and Sam's boss could help them, or he and Cas would have no place to live in a few days.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice the music from the other room had stopped until Cas sat down on the couch next to him. He leaned against Dean and Dean put an arm around him, holding him close.

"I'm sorry for how I reacted earlier. I never expected to see her here again and I just didn't know what to do. Thank you for being there for me and for trying to fix this," Cas apologized and Dean hugged him even closer.

"I know, Cas. And I understand that you were shocked, but I hate it when you shut me out like you did. Don't ever do that again, okay? I'm always there for you," Dean said and Cas nodded.

"I know. I heard you when you said it earlier. I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted," Dean said and pulled Cas into a kiss. It started out soft and gentle and after a while Cas moved so he was on Dean's lap and he deepened the kiss, holding on to Dean in an almost desperate manner, as if he needed Dean to survive. Finally he broke the kiss and looked at Dean.

"Let's go upstairs," he whispered. "I want you to make love to me."


	23. Chapter 23

**I'm very sorry for not updating sooner. I spent too much time writing other stories. But I never forgot about this one, I just didn't realize how fast time was passing. Sometimes I need more hours in a day. But I hope you'll enjoy the chapter.**

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><p>They stayed up all night, making love or just laying next to each other, talking. Mostly the talking consisted of Dean reassuring Cas, telling him that everything would be alright and that they would always have each other. Although he didn't know what they would do should Bela really have them evicted. For the moment he just needed to calm Cas and hope that Ash and Sam would be able to help them somehow.<p>

Three days later Dean and Cas hadn't heard anything from either Ash or Sam and they were both getting nervous because Bela's deadline was getting closer. Dean had just picked up his phone to call his brother, when the doorbell rang and he opened the door to Sam and Gabriel.

"Sam. About time," he greeted him. "Hi, Gabriel," he added as an afterthought.

"Nice to see you, too," Sam answered sarcastically and Dean gave him an apologetic smile.

"Hi, Dean-o. Good to see you again," Gabriel then said with a grin as he pushed past Dean and went straight into the living room where he flopped down on the couch and turned on the TV. Dean could only stare after him and was completely at a loss for words.

"Just ignore him. You do realize that he's just trying to get a rise out of you, don't you?" Sam told him and Dean nodded slowly, returning his attention to his brother.

"I know. But he still annoys me," Dean answered and stepped aside to let his brother into the house as well. They went into the kitchen where Cas had started making coffee for all of them.

"So, I gave the papers Bela left here to my boss and he looked through them. I'm afraid he said they are legit and the way it looks right now the house really does belong to her. But if you want to he could stop her from evicting you for the moment and have the divorce settlement reevaluated. As quite a few things have changed since then there's a good chance Bela wouldn't be allowed to keep the house. I know it's not what you hoped for but it's all we can do at the moment," Sam told them while the coffee was brewing.

"Well, it's something at least. Thanks Sam. I guess we'll have to hope that Ash can help us out with finally getting Bela behind bars," Cas said softly.

"Have you heard anything from him yet?" Sam asked.

"No, nothing yet. But he knows that time is short so hopefully he's working as fast as he can and will inform us as soon as he has something," Dean said and then they all were quiet and just listened to the coffee machine doing its work.

"You know that you can always come and stay with us for a while, should you really lose the house," Gabriel, who had been drawn into the kitchen by the smell of coffee, said from the doorway.

Three heads turned to look at him but Gabriel seemed to be serious about this. Dean grimaced at first at the thought of sharing a house with him but he quickly realized that they wouldn't have a place to stay, should Bela really be successful and that it would be way better than living under a bridge.

"That's very…kind of you," he managed to say.

"Why do you sound so surprised Dean? I am a nice guy and I'll do whatever it takes to make Sam happy. Offering you a roof over your head when you're in danger of living on the streets soon certainly falls into that category," Gabriel replied evenly and Dean couldn't look him in the eye anymore.

"You're right, sorry," he answered quietly and he was glad when Cas quickly ended the uncomfortable silence that followed, by thanking Gabriel for his offer.

Gabe and Sam stayed for coffee and then had to leave because Gabriel had to get to the hospital.

Dean and Cas settled on the couch in front of the TV which was playing cartoons. Gabriel must have switched them on and when he had joined them in the kitchen had only muted the TV instead of switching it off. Neither Dean nor Cas cared at the moment. They were not exactly feeling much better after the news Sam had brought them and although they would do whatever they could to stop Bela, there wasn't much time and they were worried. But it was comforting to know that they wouldn't be homeless should Bela succeed.

"Do you want me to call Ash and ask what he's got so far?" Dean asked after a few minutes. He could tell how tense and on edge Cas was and was trying to think of something helpful.

Cas looked up at him and then nodded. "Yes, please," he answered.

"Of course," Dean told him and pressed a small kiss to his forehead before getting up to grab his phone.

Ash answered almost immediately. "Yeah? Chop its head off! Chop…yes, like that."

"Uhm, is this a bad time?" Dean asked a little taken aback by that greeting.

"What? Oh, no. Gordon just almost got killed by a vamp. He needs to pay better attention to the game. He's good but he isn't you, Dean," Ash explained.

"When you have Bela locked safely in prison I'm coming over to play 'Supernatural' with you for as long as you want," Dean promised.

"Deal," Ash agreed immediately and he sounded so enthusiastic that Dean wondered if maybe he should have specified that he meant something like 'an entire afternoon' when he had said 'for as long as Ash wanted'.

"I'm close to getting her," Ash continued, unaware of Dean's thoughts. "My plan must have given her an idea. I sent her an anonymous note, telling her all charges against her had been dropped and added some fake papers to make her believe it. But apparently she had them checked and figured out they were fake. But she must have paid someone to hack the justice system's computer and actually make them believe that all charges have been dropped. Pretty clever, I have to say. The guy is good. But don't worry, I'm better and I'll fix this," he promised.

"Okay, thanks Ash. I have faith in you. Let me know when you're done, okay?" Dean told him.

"Will do. Now I have to get back to help Gordon kill the vamps. Don't worry. I'm running my searches for Bela's hacker on a different computer at the same time," Ash answered and then hung up. Dean went back to Cas and told him about the conversation and even though nothing had yet been accomplished, they felt a little more confident that everything would turn out alright.

On the day that Bela had set as the deadline for them to move out of the house, Dean and Cas still hadn't heard from either Sam's boss or from Ash and they were both a little worried that Bela would show up any minute and make them leave. They hadn't packed one thing yet, hoping that somehow things would turn out fine and even if they didn't they wanted to make everything as difficult and tedious for Bela as possible.

When Dean's cell phone rang they both jumped, because they were so worried. Dean quickly relaxed when he realized that it was Sam calling him.

"Dude, have you seen the news?" Sam said as soon as Dean had picked up.

"No, should I?" Dean asked a little surprised by this call.

"Why do you think I'm calling? Yes, you should watch the local news. Right now!" Sam told him and then hung up again. Dean immediately reached for the remote, switched the TV on and searched for the right channel. The first thing he saw was a picture of Bela and he knew that Cas had seen it, too, when he sat up straighter next to Dean, grabbing his arm.

"…_has been arrested this morning. She is suspected to be Zachariah Adler's accomplice in embezzling a sizeable sum of money from his company and blaming it on her now ex-husband Castiel Novak. Neither Ms. Talbot nor Mr. Novak have been available for comment yet."_

"Why do the news call her Ms. Talbot?" Dean asked, too stunned by the news to comment on something else at the moment.

"It was her maiden name. She must have taken it back after the divorce," Cas explained and then slowly turned to face Dean. A huge grin spread across his face. "She's been arrested. We can stay and finally she gets what she deserves," he added when the news had really registered with him.

Dean started smiling, too, then. "Yes, finally. Ash really is the best." He pulled Cas into a tight hug and kissed him but soon Cas pulled away again when something else occurred to him.

"Wait, they said I wasn't available for comment. But no one has tried to talk to me yet," he said a little confused.

"I don't know," Dean muttered, getting up from the couch and moving over to the window. "Uhm, I guess that will change soon," he said when he spotted several news vans parked outside. Quickly he pulled the curtains shut and turned back to Cas. "Do you want to talk to them?"

"Not particularly."

"Well, then I guess we'll have to stay inside for a while," Dean said with a smirk.

"I don't mind that. At all," Cas answered with a similar smirk and Dean quickly walked back over to the couch, where Cas was waiting for him.


	24. Chapter 24

**Thanks everyone for still reading this story :) I'm preparing a presentation for class next week at the moment and haven't got much time to write but sometimes I need a break which I use for writing and I finsihed another chapter. I hope you'll enjoy.**

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><p>Cas had gone to court to watch Bela's trial. He had half expected to be called as a witness and it had made him slightly nervous but the prosecutor had assured him that they had enough evidence against Bela even without him acting as a witness. It had been a great relief to Cas but he still wanted to see the trial so he was spending the entire day and maybe a few more, depending on how long the trial would be, at the court house.<p>

Of course Dean was a little disappointed to not see much of Cas during their mutual free time but at least it gave him time to finally finish fixing the Impala, which he was doing when Sam came by to visit.

"Dean?" he heard his brother call out when no one answered the front door.

"In here," Dean answered from the garage. He was at the moment lying under the car and couldn't very well get up quickly to meet Sam.

"Hi. How's it going with her?" Sam asked when he had finally found his brother.

"She's almost finished. Just a few more days and I can take her for a ride again," Dean answered and pushed himself out from under the car so he could talk to his brother face to face. He wiped his dirty face with his sleeve though that didn't really do much to make him cleaner, because his sleeve was just as dirty as the rest of him.

"Good, that's good. I'm glad you could fix her," Sam said and looked at his shoes rather than at Dean.

"Sam what's up, why did you come here?" Dean asked, getting the feeling that something was up with his brother and this wasn't just a visit to say 'hi'.

"I'm sorry," Sam mumbled and Dean was confused for a moment.

"What? Sam, don't worry, I almost fixed her. She'll be as good as new when I'm done," Dean told him but Sam just shook his head and finally looked up at his older brother.

"No that's not what I meant. Well, the car is part of it but this is about everything, my behavior since you went to prison. I'm sorry for being such an ass," Sam started to explain and Dean stared at him. Sure he had said that they needed to talk about this but things had gone so well lately that he had figured just ignoring the past would work for him and he hadn't even thought about it anymore. He had a good life now and he had his brother back and they were both happy. Why ruin everything with things from the past. But apparently Sam needed to get this off his chest so Dean looked at him and waited.

"I've been meaning to explain everything to you for a while now, well as much as you can explain what I did. But there never seemed to be the right time. We were both adjusting to our new lives and when we saw each other lately we were never alone. But I think we have both settled into our lives now and I thought today was as good as any day to finally talk about this." Sam stopped talking to take a deep breath and look at Dean, who nodded in agreement. Today was as good as any day.

"I know I've acted like an idiot, like a child, when I didn't support you during your trial and didn't visit you in prison," Sam started and Dean nodded.

"Yes, you did," he agreed. "And it hurt me. You're my brother and you were all I had. I missed you and I was very disappointed that you never came to see me."

"I know. But then maybe you can understand how I felt when you turned yourself in. After Dad left you were all I had and then you went and left me, too. You had been everything to me and when you went to prison I was hurt and felt betrayed. I was alone with Bobby, whom I hardly knew and you were gone. It gave me the feeling that you didn't want me anymore, so I decided to ignore you and live my life without you. Bobby gave me hell for not visiting you and I would have changed my mind, hadn't I met Ruby then."

"So, it's Ruby's fault then? Easy to blame her since she can't defend herself," Dean said with a little more anger than he had expected. Apparently he wasn't quite as over Sam's behavior as he had thought.

"No, not really. She just showed me a different life and we were restless and always on the road. I only thought about her and not about visiting you. I didn't think of anyone but her and me. Not Dad, not you and not even Bobby, although he had been a great help to me when you were gone. But I can't blame her for that. Except for not wanting me to come pick you up when you were released."

"I see," Dean said when Sam was done, although he didn't really. He couldn't understand why Sam had abandoned him like that but he could tell that his brother really was sorry for how he'd acted.

"I regret that now, never visiting you and not supporting you. I know you just wanted to do the right thing and you did. You did it for me and I should have been there for you. I was wrong and stupid. I know you didn't necessarily want to talk about this anymore but I had to tell you this and I hope you can forgive me my stupidity," Sam ended and stared at Dean, waiting for his reaction.

"Wrong and stupid are the right words and I'm glad you realized that. But you're my brother and I'm just happy to have you back, so yes, as much as it hurt me and though I don't really understand why you acted like that, I forgive you," Dean told him seriously and Sam visibly relaxed with relief. "Okay, let's end this chick-flick moment now and grab a cold beer," Dean continued in a much more cheery voice and bumped Sam's shoulder with his fist, which made Sam jump back to avoid as much of the dirt on Dean's hand as possible.

Dean chuckled and quickly wiped his hands before going to the kitchen to get two beers and bring them back into the garage. He handed one to Sam and they both started to drink in comfortable silence.

"So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?" Dean asked when they had finished their beer.

"I haven't got any," Sam replied.

"You wanna help me fix my baby? Would only be right since you destroyed her and all," Dean offered with a grin.

"I…sure. Why not?" Sam decided and the two brothers started working on the Impala, Dean explaining the different steps to Sam who listened carefully and did exactly what Dean told him. By the time Sam had to leave, they had made great progress on the car and both of them felt pretty good about their relationship.

When Sam was gone Dean went inside to shower and put on some clean clothes and then wait for Cas' return. He was in the kitchen, drinking another beer when he heard a car stop outside and then the car door slammed closed. And then a second car door slammed closed right after the first, which confused Dean a bit since he only expected Cas.

A few seconds later he got to know the source of the second slamming door as Cas walked into the kitchen, followed by a blonde man with light blue eyes, who was wearing a dark gray v-neck sweater and a cocky expression, which made him look disturbingly handsome. Dean got up quickly and hugged Cas and kissed him lightly on the lips. At least the kiss had been intended to be light but it grew pretty passionate and possessive pretty quickly until the stranger cleared his throat to remind them of his presence.

"Hi," Dean whispered to Cas.

"Hi," Cas whispered back. Then he took a step back so he was standing between Dean and the stranger. "Ehm, Dean, this is Balthazar. We hadn't seen each other in years and met at the trial. He's Bela's brother," he introduced the two men.

"Hello," Dean said and held his hand out to Balthazar who took it and turned it to lift it to his lips, pretending to press a small kiss on the back of it. Surprised Dean pulled his hand out of Balthazar's grasp and stared at him, getting a wide smirk in return.

"Sorry, couldn't resist," Balthazar grinned and after a moment Dean smiled, too, though a bit strained.

"I hope you don't mind that I brought him here. We haven't seen each other in years and wanted to catch up," Cas said and when he looked at Dean with pleading eyes, Dean couldn't say anything else but that it was no problem at all, but he send a warning look in Balthazar's direction nonetheless.

Balthazar saw the look but shrugged it off. "Great," he beamed. "Cassie and I lost touch when he married my dear of a sister. It's great fun to see her in shackles," he told Dean, making it clear that there was no love lost between him and his sister.

Balthazar stayed for another hour and he and Cas talked the whole time while Dean felt a little bit left out and he wasn't sad at all when Balthazar announced he had to go. Finally Dean had Cas for himself and they settled on the couch to cuddle and talk about their day.


	25. Chapter 25

**Wow, chapter 25 now and still a few more to go. I'm amazed by how long this story has gotten and by your support for it. Thanks you. But should you be looking for something else to read at the moment, you should try RosesandThorns666's 'The Paths We Tread'. It's a sister!fic and a really good read.**

**Anyway, enjoy this chapter. I'm going to make Christmas cookies now :)**

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><p>The trial lasted a few more days and those days were very trying for Dean. Cas was lucky to be really flexible with his office hours, especially since he could do a lot of work from home, so he could go watch every day of the trial, which lasted a week.<p>

Dean knew that Cas needed that and he did enjoy working on his baby some more when Cas still wasn't home by the time Dean got back from work. He was actually about ready for a test drive by the end of the week. What bothered him wasn't that Cas wasn't home with him much. It was just for a few days and then things would be back to normal.

No, what bothered him was that Cas was spending so much time with his devilishly handsome ex-brother-in-law, Balthazar. The day before he had even called Dean to tell him he'd be late because he wanted to have a drink with Balthazar and an old friend of theirs. Of course Dean had said it was okay. He trusted Cas. But he didn't trust Balthazar. That cocky, confident man just rubbed him the wrong way and when Cas had come home that night he had dragged his lover right upstairs into the bedroom without giving him the chance to even take off his coat.

He had claimed Cas as his as completely as he could, kissing every inch of his skin and making love to him until they were both lying in bed next to each other, covered in sweat and panting.

"Wow. What was that about?" Cas asked once he had caught his breath. Not that he hadn't liked Dean's sexual aggressiveness but it had taken him by surprise.

"Nothing. I just missed you," Dean hedged and then turned to kiss Cas deeply and prevent any more questions. Castiel immediately melted into the kiss and they didn't do any more talking that night.

"Today is the last day of the trial," Cas told Dean at breakfast the next morning. "They said they'd announce the sentence sometime today."

"Great. I really haven't seen enough of you these past few days," Dean told him and then quickly kissed him goodbye because he needed to go to work. He was really looking forward to the weekend and to spending a lot more time with Cas and maybe finally taking him for a ride in the Impala.

Work was slow that day. It had been for a long time and Dean knew that Michael was worried. By noon Dean was done with his work and since there was nothing else to do, Michael told him to go home early. Dean hoped that business would pick up again soon or he might lose his job. And he really needed it for his parole. But so far Michael hadn't said anything to him, so maybe things weren't as bad as Dean thought.

When he got home he checked on the Impala and found that he was actually done. He just needed to close the hood and start driving. The call from Cas about him going out for a drink with Balthazar must have distracted him so much the day before that he hadn't noticed he'd finished the car. Quickly he put everything away and got his baby ready for a drive. Okay, so she might need some fresh black paint but then she'd be the beauty she used to be.

He decided to see if Castiel was finished at the court house and surprise him by taking him for a ride in the car he had saved for Dean. He got behind the wheel and sat there for a moment enjoying the familiar feeling of sitting there and letting his hands run along the steering wheel.

"Feels good to have you back, baby," he whispered in a loving voice that made him glad he was alone and no one could hear him. But the Impala was more than just a car to him, it was a part of his family and he was glad that he hadn't lost the car.

The feeling when he turned the key in the ignition and the engine caught with a low rumble was amazing and send a pleasurable shiver down Dean's spine. He had done his job right and his baby was working perfectly again. Now it was time to show Cas that he wreck had been turned into a car again. Slowly Dean drove down the driveway and turned into the street. He was still careful in the beginning but quickly grew more confident and soon found himself in front of the court house, looking for a parking space.

He was just rummaging through his pockets, looking for loose change to feed the meter, when he noticed Cas coming down the steps in front of the court house, closely followed by Balthazar. Cas didn't notice Dean getting out of the Impala on the other side of the street. Balthazar did though. At least Dean thought he must have seen him, because the blonde man was looking straight at him for a moment and smirked. Okay, Dean might have imagined that last part but it seemed a likely thing for Balthazar to do.

Then Balthazar turned to face Cas and talked to him before pulling him closer. Dean couldn't really tell what was going because he was too far away but whatever it was, lasted way too long for his liking. And then, when Balthazar stepped back, he and Cas continued down the steps without looking once in Dean's direction and they walked away.

Dean felt a painful stab in his chest and he got right back into his car. He knew it didn't mean anything, Cas clearly hadn't seen him and maybe Balthazar hadn't recognized him, although that was hard to believe, but it hurt and he just wanted to get away from here at the moment. He started the car and drove off, cursing the fact that the street he was on was a one-way street, which meant he'd have to pass Cas and Balthazar. But maybe they wouldn't recognize him.

Of course Castiel recognized the car and the driver at once and when Dean had to stop before turning the corner, he saw Cas looking at Balthazar questioningly and Balthazar shrugging. When Cas started to walk in his direction Dean was almost willing to wait for him but the driver behind him was impatient and Dean had no choice but to go on and there was no place where he could stop.

He had just decided to drive around the block and try this whole thing over. He had reacted too rash. But when he saw Cas running towards his own car, just as he turned, he decided to go slow and see if Cas would catch up to him. When he saw Cas' car behind him he lead them to the next park where he got out and walked over to a bench that was a little way from the main path and from the other people around. He sat down and looked out on the lake, waiting for Cas to join him.

He didn't have to wait long. Soon Cas sat down next to him without saying a word. For a moment they both sat in silence. Finally Cas started talking.

"I didn't see you at the court house. Why did you just leave?"

"Balthazar," was all Dean said to that.

"Aah," Cas answered. "He says that he saw you but didn't recognize you," Cas told him.

"You believe him?" Dean asked and tried not to sound too outraged.

"Why wouldn't I? He doesn't have a reason to lie," Cas answered.

"I guess not," Dean growled and Cas laughed.

"You're jealous! That is…sweet," he said and Dean looked at him, not knowing what to say first.

"Sweet? And anyway, I'm not jealous," Dean huffed, causing Cas to laugh some more.

"Yes, you are and I like it," Cas said happily and he moved closer to Dean and pulled him against his body. "It means you care about me."

"Of course I do."

"Good. I feel the same about you," Cas answered. "So, why did you come to the court house in the first place?" he then asked to change the subject that was clearly making Dean uncomfortable.

"I wanted to take you for a ride in the Impala. She's running perfectly again."

"Oh, I'd love that," Cas said and got up, pulling Dean along with him. In the parking lot he went straight to the Impala but instead of getting in he pushed Dean against the side of the car and sealed his mouth with his in a deep and passionate kiss.

"No need for jealousy. I'm all yours," he whispered before kissing Dean one more time. Then he stepped back and let Dean walk to the driver's side of the car, getting into the car now himself.

Dean drove them out of town and then stopped at a remote place where they made out for a while like lovesick teenagers. When the sun started to set they returned to the park so Cas could get his car and then they finally drove back home.


	26. Chapter 26

**After staring at a blank page for days, inspiration finally struck last night when I was about to go to sleep. I did stay up to write most of this but in the end I needed my sleep and now I finished this in the morning before going to work. I didn't want to risk forgetting anything ;) Thank you all for reading and reviewing and I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

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><p>Dean and Cas had just finished dinner and were trying to choose a movie to watch that night, when the doorbell rang. They looked at each other and shrugged, neither of them expected a visitor. They opened the door to find Balthazar standing outside.<p>

"Balthazar," Dean said coldly. "What do you want?" He knew without a doubt that Cas was his and that Balthazar would never have a chance with him, should he want one but Dean just couldn't help himself. He didn't like the guy and felt like having to step between him and Cas.

"Dean. A pleasure to see you, as always," Balthazar said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Hi, Cas," he said in a much more friendly and sincere voice to the other man.

"Balthazar. I thought you would be on your way home by now," Castiel said, surprised to see his friend again.

"I would be. But I have something to tell you, which I would have told you earlier, before we were so rudely interrupted," Balthazar explained with a pointed look at Dean.

"Hey, you were…" Dean started hotly but Balthazar interrupted him at once.

"Hey, don't get your panties in twist; I'm not trying to steal Cas from you. I might have thought about it a few years ago but my darling sister was faster. Although Cassie would have been better off with me."

"Really? You fucked anything that moved if I remember correctly," Cas said with a disbelieving chuckle.

"So, you would have had some fun and in the end it'd have saved you this mess," Balthazar said and Dean and Cas had to admit that he was right.

"But I'm a changed man now," Balthazar continued. "I met a girl and I'm getting married and I want you to be my best man. That's what I was going to tell you, when you took off running after this genius here. So you see, I really am no threat to you, Dean."

Now Cas had to step in between Dean and Balthazar, just in case they wouldn't stop at insults. He didn't think they'd actually start a fist fight but he wanted to be on the safe side.

"You're getting married?" Cas asked, surprised by these news.

"Does she know what she's getting herself into?" Dean wanted to know.

"Yes, I'm getting married and yes, she does know what she's getting herself into. She's seen me at my worst and helped me become a better person," Balthazar answered and ignored Dean's snort at the last part of his statement. "Her name is Meg. Megan Masters and she's no angel, I can tell you. She's feisty," he told them with an almost dreamy smile and it was obvious that he adored the girl.

"Of course I'll be your best man. I feel honored that you thought of me," Castiel said and Balthazar smiled.

"Great. I'll send you an invitation with all the details soon. Oh, you can bring Dean, too, of course if you must," Balthazar said and then hugged Cas and waved at Dean before he left them.

"See, I told you. You have nothing to worry about. He's getting married," Cas said to Dean when they returned to their living room and settled back on the couch.

"Yeah, you were right," Dean admitted grudgingly. "But I still don't like him."

"You don't have to like him," Cas told him and put his arms around him. "But you're coming with me to the wedding?"

"Of course. I'm not leaving you alone with him. Even when he's getting married," Dean answered but he smiled as he said that.

Cas was happy about Dean's answer. He didn't want to go there on his own and he'd been worried that maybe Dean wouldn't want to see Balthazar again. But he'd said yes and Cas leaned over and kissed Dean gently.

"Thank you," he whispered against Dean's lips and Dean let his hand rest at the back of Cas' neck and held him close and after a moment Cas climbed on Dean's lap, his thighs framing Dean's. He could kiss Dean much better this way. Dean put his arms around Cas, one hand resting at the small of his back, the other on his butt, pulling him as close as their clothes allowed.

"Hmm, Cas. I had no idea going to a wedding got this reaction from you. I'd have found us a wedding to attend much sooner," Dean joked and Cas pulled back a little to look at him.

"Dean?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up," Cas said and then sealed Dean's lips with another kiss to prevent further talking.

Cas' kisses soon got deeper, became more demanding and Dean gladly let him take control. It was a rare occasion that Cas did this but Dean found it extremely hot when his lover was dominant like tonight. Now Cas was reaching down between their bodies and pulling Dean's shirt up, his fingers slowly trailing over his naked skin and pausing at his nipples, teasing the little buds until their were rock hard and Dean was moaning into their kiss.

He broke the kiss to pull the shirt over Dean's head and then immediately captured Dean's lips with his again. One of his hands slowly slid down Dean's chest and rested on the belt buckle, the promise of what was to come alone was enough to make Dean's breath stutter. But before Cas could follow through on this promise, Dean's phone rang, interrupting them.

"Ignore it," Cas purred and Dean was tempted to do just that but when the phone didn't stop ringing he sighed.

"Sorry, I can't. It could be Sam," he said apologetically and Cas gave him a reassuring smile and climbed off Dean.

"It's okay, I understand," he said and Dean hurried to get his phone before it stopped ringing.

"Bobby," he said surprised when he'd checked who the caller was and answered the phone. "Hey, what's up?"

Castiel watched as Dean talked to his old friend and saw Dean getting quieter and less cheerful, the longer the conversation lasted. He hardly said anything after the beginning and just listened to what Bobby had to say.

"Okay, Bobby. Thanks for letting me know. I'll tell Sam and get there as soon as possible," Dean finally said and ended the call.

"What happened?" Cas asked immediately. Dean had sounded distressed.

"That was Bobby," Dean started. "He called about my dad. John showed up at his place a few days ago and he wasn't well. He's in the hospital now and Bobby thinks it would be good for Sam and me to visit him, in case he doesn't make it."

"Oh. I am so sorry, Dean," Cas said and went to hug Dean, who only accepted this for a moment before freeing himself again.

"I need to tell Sam," he said and Cas understood that Dean needed some space at the moment. He handed him his shirt and went to the stairs.

"I'll wait upstairs," he told him and Dean nodded before picking up his phone again to call Sam.

About twenty minutes later Dean finally followed him upstairs and they went to bed. "I left Sam a message. And Gabriel, too, just to make sure Sam gets it. And I also left messages for Michael and Missouri, letting them know I need to see my dad tomorrow," Dean said as they were lying next to each other.

"So you have everything covered," Castiel said with a small smile. "I can come with you, if you want," he added after a moment and Dean turned to face him.

"I…you don't have to. You have work," Dean said softly.

"I can work something out. I'll come if you need me," he told Dean and earned a smile.

"Yes. Please come with me," Dean finally agreed and Cas was glad that Dean allowed at least that much comfort instead of shoving all his feeling to the back of his mind and locking them down tight, as he had expected him to do. He could only be there for Dean, if Dean let him and after everything Dean had done for him to help him through the situation with Bela, he now wanted to do the same for Dean and help him through this difficult time.


	27. Chapter 27

**This chapter has been difficult to write for many different reason but I finally got it done, even though it took a while. I wish you all a Happy New Year and now enjoy the chapter.**

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><p>"How much longer?" Gabriel asked in a mock-whine for the tenth time in an hour and Dean had to fight the urge to reach to the backseat and punch the guy. They had decided to drive to Bobby's in one car and Dean had insisted on using the Impala, so now he was driving, with Castiel in the passenger seat and Sam and Gabriel in the back.<p>

"Gabe, stop it," Sam whispered and punched his boyfriend lightly in the shoulder, which made Dean, who watched in the rearview mirror, smile in satisfaction, until Gabe pulled Sam closer and started kissing him.

"Urgh, guys, please," he groaned and Gabriel laughed but thankfully let go of Sam for the moment.

"We're almost there anyway," Castiel cut in to prevent another argument, like the one he'd had to endure one hour into the drive, when Gabriel had wanted Dean to stop at a store, because he had forgotten to bring his candy for the drive. In the end Sam and Cas had both, at the same time, said that they needed to pee to make Dean stop the car and stop this stupid fight.

After that it was quiet in the car and they really didn't need much longer to reach Bobby's house. Dean had called to warn him that it would not only be him and Sam coming to visit but that they'd bring Castiel and Gabriel as well. Bobby had been fine with that and had even thought that it was a good idea that they brought some moral support, should the worst happen. And it was likely it would because John had been a heavy drinker and he'd never taken good care of himself, which was part of the reason that he'd left his sons all those years ago.

"Hey Bobby. It's good to see you again," Dean said when Bobby opened the door for them.

"You, too, son," Bobby replied. "And you, Sam."

"Bobby. I'm so sorry for how things went, running off and not calling," Sam told him meekly.

"You're back now," Bobby simply answered and then greeted Castiel and Gabriel, considering everything between Sam and him settled just like that.

"Don't worry, I won't let him run away again," Gabriel assured Bobby.

"You better not," Bobby said and then they all went inside the house and sat down to talk.

"Like I told Dean on the phone, John just showed up at my door out of nowhere a few days ago. I hadn't heard from him in years, not since he left you two boys. He wasn't well, I could tell just from looking at him, but he refused to see a doctor and he didn't say what he wanted. I think he came here to find you two but I couldn't just tell him where you were without talking to you first. I let him stay for the night and the next morning he was in such a bad shape that I took him to the next hospital," Bobby started his explanation.

"Thanks for calling us first and not telling him where to find us, Bobby," Dean said quietly. This was all very hard for him. He had looked up to his dad as a child and even though his dad later had been drunk a lot, it had been devastating for Dean when he'd just left. If it hadn't been for Sam, he might have just become a drunk as well, to drown the feeling of being unwanted and worthless. But Sam had been his reason to live and now he also had Cas, who had taken his hand, when Bobby had started to speak and held it tightly now.

"I didn't know if you boys wanted to see him and I thought the decision should be yours," Bobby answered and Sam and Dean both nodded.

"Thanks," Dean whispered and there was so much sadness and helplessness in this one word that Cas moved a little closer to him, telling him that he wasn't alone in this.

"What did the doctor say?" Gabriel asked when it was quiet for a while and he could feel Sam's tension and knew that Sam would rather leave than sit here and talk about his father, who'd abandoned him. Although they were really in the same situation, Sam and Dean had reacted very differently to the news of their father's return.

Dean, although mad at him for leaving them, was glad to have another chance to see his father, something he had not expected anymore. Sam on the other hand had never forgiven his father for leaving and for destroying their family and he wasn't ready to forgive yet. He hadn't wanted to come and it had taken Gabriel quite some time to convince him and only the promise that he'd go with him had made Sam change his mind in the end.

"The doctor gives him a few more weeks maybe. He said that John is dying of liver failure from too much alcohol. He must have been getting sicker for years now. I guess he could feel that the end is close and that's the reason he suddenly showed up here," Bobby answered.

At those news Dean got up without a word and went outside, closely followed by Cas, who told the others with a look to stay inside and give Dean some space. He watched Dean from a distance for a while, just watching how Dean kicked some of the junk cars in the scrap yard, working out all his frustration and anger by denting the old and rusty cars some more.

When he calmed down after a while Cas went over to him and pulled Dean into an embrace, holding on to his stiff body until Dean finally relaxed into him.

"Why is he back now? Why now, after all these years? Now, that he's dying?" Dean whispered after a long time of just standing there.

"Probably because he is dying," Cas answered quietly. He didn't know what John was thinking, he could only make assumptions but never understand a man he'd never met. "I think that maybe he wants to see his sons one last time, have a chance to ask for forgiveness."

"I don't know if I can do that. He just left us."

"You don't have to. But you're here, aren't you?" Cas said. It was a difficult situation. He didn't really know why Dean had been so quick to drive out here but he thought that he must have a good reason. He just wasn't sure if Dean knew that reason yet himself.

"He's dying. He's leaving us again and this time for good. How can he do that to us, again?" Dean asked angrily and Cas understood that somewhere deep inside Dean had hoped to get his dad back. He'd come here with hope that things weren't that bad, that his dad would be okay and that maybe they could start over. But this hope had just been destroyed when Bobby had told them the whole story and now Dean didn't know what to do or think.

"Dean…" What he could he possibly say to make this better or at least more bearable for Dean?

"I just want to understand why he left," Dean said finally, sounding like a lost child and not like a grown man who had managed to raise his brother and led a good life despite everything that had happened to him.

"Go to the hospital and ask him," Cas suggested, finally understanding what had been driving Dean to come out here and Dean looked at him as if he'd never even thought about a solution this easy. He had been trying to figure this out for so long that he hadn't ever imagined to just ask his father should he ever get the chance. Now he had one.

"I will," he told Cas and all the anger and desperation that had been there when he'd gone outside were gone, at least for now.

He fiercely pulled Cas even closer against him and kissed him long and longingly. He was thankful for Cas being there with him and he wouldn't know what to do without him. He would have felt lost without Cas but with him he knew who he was and where he belonged, even in a situation like this.

When they finally went back to the house they found Bobby and Sam where they'd left them and Gabriel on the phone with the hospital, trying to get some more information.

"They won't say anymore over the phone but we can visit right now if we want," he finally said after hanging up the phone with a frustrated sigh. Being a doctor himself he had expected not to get any information over the phone since he wasn't a relative but since Sam didn't seem to want to talk about this at all with anyone, he had given it a try.

"Okay, let's go then," Dean said and everyone, except Sam, got up.


	28. Chapter 28

**Thank you all for the support with the last chapter. Here is the reunion of the boys with John now. Right now I'm thinking this story will probably have two more chapters. Of course that might change when I actually start writing then, but for right now that is the plan. This chapter is pretty emotional. I hope you'll enjoy it.**

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><p>"Sam, come on. You didn't come all this way just to not go to the hospital in the end," Gabriel quietly told Sam and Sam looked at him for a long moment, before he sighed and stood as well.<p>

"You're right. Let's go," he said, sounding anything but happy about it.

Bobby led the way in his truck and the others followed in the Impala, reaching the hospital after only a short drive. Bobby showed them the way to the room and then stopped in front of the right door.

"Maybe I should go in first to tell him that you are here, before you all crowd him," Bobby said and when they all nodded he went inside, closing the door behind him, leaving the group in the hallway.

When a doctor passed them, Gabriel took the chance to stop him and finally get some information, now that relatives of the patient were present. He briefly talked to him, while the rest stood by and listened but didn't really understand a word he said. When the doctor left to look after another patient, Gabriel turned to the group to explain what he had learned.

"Sam, Dean, I'm sorry but from what the doctor told me, your father's condition is serious. Very serious. He is in the final stage of liver failure, called cirrhosis. He's also been experiencing a delirium, caused by the alcohol withdrawal since he's been hospitalized. He might be confused or disoriented when you speak with him. You will also be able to see the signs of the liver disease. His skin will be yellow and his abdomen could be bloated. I just want you to know these things, so you won't be too shocked when you see him," Gabriel told them and squeezed Sam's hand, just as Castiel did with Dean's.

"You boys can go in now. He's waiting for you," Bobby said when he joined them back in the hallway and Dean immediately went to the door, with Sam following him a little hesitantly. At the door they both looked back at Cas and Gabriel who still stood in their places.

"You should do this alone. We'll wait for you out here," Cas told them and with a nod Dean opened the door and he and Sam went inside the room to see their father again for the first time in years.

Dean went straight to the bed and sat down next to it, taking his father's hand, while Sam remained standing close to the door, as if he was ready to flee any moment.

"Dad," Dean said and then stopped, not knowing how to continue.

"Sam, Dean. It's so good to see you," John said in a weak voice.

"Yeah? You could have had that every day, if you hadn't just left us without even saying goodbye," Sam replied hostilely.

"Sam!" Dean exclaimed, shocked about his brother's tone.

"No, Dean. He's right. What I did was wrong. Unforgivable. And I didn't come looking for you to seek your forgiveness. I know that leaving you to fend for yourselves isn't excusable but I want to apologize for what I did. I do not ask you to accept it but I wanted you to know that I am sorry I left and missed out on so much. I am proud of you my sons."

A dry, not amused laugh came from Sam. "You're right. It IS unforgivable and I will never accept this crappy apology. And I'm not believing this bullshit anyway," he said and then left the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

"Sam!" Dean yelled again, but Sam had already left and couldn't hear him or he didn't want to. "I'm sorry about that, dad," Dean said, turning back to his father. "He has always taken it very hard that you left but I thought he had grown up by now."

"It's okay, son. No need to defend him, I understand and I deserve this reaction. He was only a kid and he needed a father. You did a great job looking out for him but it wasn't fair on either of you," John told him calmly.

"Family was always the most important thing for all of us. It was the way you raised us. I just don't understand why you left us," Dean answered.

"That is why I'm here. I wanted to explain my reasons and try to make you understand why I had to leave you and Sam," John said and Dean was stunned.

"Had to leave?"

"Yes, it was for your best, even though you probably don't see it that way."

"I do have a hard time understanding why it should have been for our best," Dean admitted. "I struggled for years to put Sam through school and make enough money for food. I couldn't finish my own education and we just barely made ends meet for years. But in the end I had to resort to robbery and went to prison for it. Sammy hated me for leaving him because he was so afraid I wouldn't come back to him, just like you. I was all he had left," Dean told his father and John looked sadder with every word he heard about his sons' lives.

"I never wanted that for you. I just wanted you to be safe and you weren't safe with me. But I knew you were strong, both of you and that you'd manage without me. And you did and you grew up into fine young men," John said sadly.

"But we never wanted that. We wanted our dad. We wanted to be a family."

"I know. But I was a danger to you. I nearly killed Sam and myself when you were away on a camping trip with friends."

"You did what?" Dean asked shocked. He hadn't expected a confession like that.

"It was an accident. I was trying to cook dinner but I was too drunk to do it properly. I turned on the stove, not noticing the towel lying on top of it and went to the living room where I fell asleep. I woke up from Sam's yells when he put out the flames and burned his arm. It was a wakeup call for me. We had been lucky but what if Sam had been asleep, too or too absorbed in a book? I went to a few AA meetings after that and tried to stay sober."

"I remember that. You were different right before you left. We hoped we finally had our old dad back from when we were kids. Made it all the harder when you disappeared," Dean whispered as he remembered that time.

"Yes, I stayed sober for a while. But not very long. I had problems at work because of the alcohol and when I tried to tell them I'd changed they didn't believe me and threatened to fire me, if I stepped a toe out of line. It was too much. I didn't go home that day, I went to a bar and got drunk. I wasn't in any shape to drive when I left but I did it anyway. I didn't care anymore. And then I hit a guy on my way home and it shocked me. I stopped to check on him but when he got up and didn't seem to be hurt, I suddenly was scared of the consequences and fled the scene. I kept driving and driving until I didn't know where I was anymore.

I thought about turning around to go home after a while but then I thought about the guy I'd hit and what if it had been a child? One of my sons maybe? A child might not have survived that accident and I was so afraid I would accidently hurt one of you. I couldn't go back, so I left to give you a chance at life on your own," John explained and then stopped to take a breath and rest against his pillows. This much talking had been very strenuous for him, physically and emotionally.

"You should have come home anyway. We would have found a way. I think I understand why you did it but leaving was not the right decision," Dean said quietly.

"I know that now. But at that time I was lost and I tried to drown all my fears and worries in alcohol until I could hardly recognize myself. I couldn't think straight and it took the realization that I'm dying to finally see my mistake."

His dad suddenly looked very lost and small in that hospital bed and Dean held his hand closer to reassure him.

"I know you thought you were doing what you thought was best for us. I understand and I forgive you. I'm just glad you came back. I thought I'd never see you again," Dean said and then got up and slowly let go of his father's hand.

"I better go now and give Sam a chance to talk to you in private if he wants."

"If he doesn't, please tell him why I did it," John asked and Dean nodded.

"Of course. I'll be back tomorrow."

He smiled one more time at his dad and then left the room to be wrapped into Castiel's arms the moment he closed the door. He melted against Cas and let his head rest on his lover's shoulder for a moment before he looked up again to find Sam.

"Sam. Maybe you want to talk to dad now. It might be your last chance," he told his brother.

"Yeah, yeah. Gabriel already gave me the 'you'll-regret-it-once-he's-gone' speech. I'll go," Sam answered with a heavy sigh and reluctantly let go of Gabriel to see his father.

"He doesn't know how to deal with this. All these years he's been dreaming of his dad coming back to you, so that you can be a family again. And now he feels betrayed because his dad is back but you won't be a family again. I don't think he hates your dad for leaving you all those years ago. I think he hates him for only coming back now with so little time. It is not what he has been hoping for. He might need some support from is big brother," Castiel whispered into Dean's ear.

"I think you might be right. I'll talk to him later." Dean sighed and looked at the closed door. "But who is going to support me?" he asked very quietly just for himself but Castiel heard.

"I will. I'm always here for you and I'll help you with this as much as I can," he answered and lightly kissed Dean on the cheek, who turned his head to capture Castiel's lips in a gentle and loving kiss.


	29. Chapter 29

**This a shorter chapter than what you're used to from this story but I'm incredibly busy right now, having to finish my Master's thesis a lot sooner than I thought. I just wrote a few lines every day and I hope the chapter isn't as uninspired as it feels to me. But I don't want to keep you waiting any longer and since it is done, here is the next chapter. I hope you'll enjoy it.**

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><p>"Here, let me help you," Cas said and grabbed Dean's hands that were shaking slightly and unsuccessfully trying to do the knot on his tie.<p>

Dean's hands stilled and when Cas let them go, he dropped them to his sides, letting Cas finish the knot and straighten the tie for him.

"Thanks," Dean whispered and checked his appearance in the mirror before they headed to the stairs to meet Bobby, Sam and Gabriel to go to the funeral.

John had held on for a lot longer than the doctors had predicted and Dean and Sam had had the chance to see their father a few more times over the last few weeks but eventually John had lost the fight. At least they'd had the chance to say goodbye. The brothers had now returned to Bobby's with Castiel and Gabriel to attend the funeral and say their final goodbyes.

Dean had wanted to just come for the funeral and then leave again straight away because he wanted to be alone with Cas in his mourning. Sam had just wanted to come for the funeral as well because he just wanted to get it over with. Of course he was sad that he'd lost his dad but even though he'd spent some time talking with John and getting to know him again, he hadn't quite forgiven him yet and it would probably take some time still.

But Bobby had asked them to stay for a few days and keep him company, because he had just lost one of his oldest friends.

"Come on. You're pretty enough. We're gonna be late for the service if we don't leave now," Bobby called up the stairs and Dean and Cas hurried into the living room where the others were all waiting for them.

The service was short and simple and there were only a few other people there. Cas held Dean's hand the entire time and Dean saw that Gabriel did the same with Sam. Bobby was sitting with a woman that he had introduced to them as Ellen Harvelle. She owned a bar and had given John a place to sleep, when he was too drunk to leave and be safe, more than once. Apparently Bobby knew her, too and Dean was glad to see that Bobby had someone next to him during the service as well.

After the service the body was cremated and Dean was handed an urn with his father's ashes. When it was all over they returned to Bobby's house. Ellen had decided to come as well and the six of them were now sitting in Bobby's kitchen, staring at the urn and drinking shots of whiskey in his memory. Maybe that was a bit macabre because the alcohol had killed John but after this day they all needed it. Bobby even poured some whiskey on the ground as a gesture for John.

"What are you going to do with him?" Ellen asked, when the first round of shots was gone.

There was a moment of silence after this question, while they all thought about it.

"I…I guess we'll find a peaceful place for him to rest," Dean finally said slowly.

"He didn't have that in life. He deserves some peace now that he's dead," Castiel supported Dean when no one said a word and finally the rest of the group nodded in agreement.

"Sounds good. I think I know a good place not too far from here. We can go there tonight," Bobby said as he poured another round of shots for everyone. They drank up and then followed Bobby out of the house and across his yard. He led them a short way through the terrain surrounding his house and after climbing a small hill they suddenly looked out on a small, hidden lake.

"This is a beautiful place, Bobby," Ellen said, taking Bobby's arm.

"This is perfect," Dean agreed and with a small nudge from Cas he stepped forward towards the lake and then looked at Sam to do the same. After a moment Sam joined him at the edge of the lake. Side by side the brothers looked out over the lake and Dean slowly unscrewed the urn.

"Anyone have any last words?" he called back over his shoulder. The four people behind them just shook their heads. "Sam?" Dean turned to his brother but Sam also just shook his head no.

"Well, goodbye dad," Dean whispered and then started to spread his father's ashes out over the lake, handing the urn to Sam after a moment to do the same with the rest. When they were done they stood for a long time and watched the ash move softly with the slow movements of the lake water until Cas and Gabriel stepped up to them, each wrapping their lover tightly in their arms.

"Where are Bobby and Ellen?" Sam asked when they finally turned away from the lake and started to walk back to the house.

"They left a while ago. I think they both made their peace with John and then went back to get some sleep," Gabriel answered and both Sam and Dean nodded. It made sense. It really had gotten late and cold, standing there by the water and back at the house the two couples didn't waste any time to get to their bedrooms. They all needed to get warm and they all needed sleep after this day.

"Are you okay?" Cas asked softly when he and Dean climbed into bed.

"Yes. Thanks for being here with me though, Cas," Dean answered but the 'yes' didn't sound quite truthful to Cas. So when they were settled under the covers he snuggled up close to Dean and put an arm around him, something Dean didn't allow too often. But not only did he allow that tonight, he even shifted closer and rested his head against Castiel's shoulder, needing the closeness and reassurance his partner gave him.

Castiel stayed awake until Dean's breathing was even and then he gently kissed the top of Dean's head and finally closed his own eyes. The past few weeks had been hard for Dean but Cas had gladly been there for him every step of the way and now that Dean had found closure, hopefully things would get better for him eventually.


	30. Chapter 30

**Wow. It took me a while to finally get back around to writing this story. I was busy with my thesis but that is now done. And maybe I was a little reluctant because this is the final chapter of the story. It's always a little sad when a story ends but they all do eventually. **

**Anyway, I found the time to write this chapter just between finishing my thesis and moving to a different city for a job, which is good, because I might not have much time to write during the next month either. I'm glad I managed to finish this story before the move. Thank you all for supporting this all the way through and for leaving all those reviews****. It has been great writing this story. Now I hope you'll enjoy the last chapter.**

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><p>"Congratulations, Dean," Cas beamed at him and raised his glass.<p>

Dean smiled and did the same. "To a new life," he said and drank some of the champaign Cas had bought for this occasion.

"To you being a free man now," Cas replied.

That morning Dean had had his last meeting with Missouri. His parole was now over and he was officially free and a regular member of society again. All the papers were signed. He could now do what he wanted.

"What are your plans from now on?" Cas asked after a moment. "You can do what you want, go wherever you want to."

"Yes. But I'm not going anywhere. I'm right where I want to be," Dean answered and earned a warm smile from Cas. "I think I want to change jobs though. I don't want to work for Michael any longer. He can hardly afford me anyway and his son never liked me. I think I'd rather be a mechanic."

"You'll be a great mechanic. The way you rebuilt the Impala was very impressive," Cas told him. "Very sexy, actually," he added in a much lower and more sensual voice that made Dean shiver with desire.

"Maybe we should take this celebration somewhere else," Dean whispered. The table separating them was suddenly way too big.

Cas just nodded and put down his glass and that was the signal for Dean to get up and grab Cas' hand to pull him out of his chair and lead him upstairs to their bedroom. By the time they reached the bed they had lost most of their clothes already and had almost fallen on the stairs because they couldn't wait to kiss and touch each other, couldn't keep their hands off each other.

It had been a while since they had done more than just hold and be there for each other. With everything that had been going on with John and the funeral it just hadn't felt right but now they both realized how much they had missed the physical aspect of their relationship and it showed in the urgency of their actions.

Apparently Dean wasn't moving quick enough for Cas because suddenly the older man determinedly stirred him towards the bed and pushed him down onto it, immediately following and settling down on Dean's legs.

"Wow, Cas," Dean teased with a chuckle that turned into a moan when Cas pulled down his boxers and swallowed Dean's hard length down as far as he could, sucking hard.

"Fuck, Cas. I'm not gonna last long if you keep that up," Dean panted only moments later and Cas stopped and looked up at his lover, his eyes wide with lust, his cheeks flushed and his lips slick and swollen. Dean thought he looked sexy as hell like that and reached up to pull Cas closer for a passionate kiss, while his hand found its way into Cas' underwear.

He stroked until Cas moaned loudly into the kiss and then moved away to get rid of both their boxers before returning to Dean for another short but deep kiss.

"Dean. I need you. Now!" he said and laid back against the mattress, waiting for his lover. Dean didn't need to be told twice and quickly grabbed the lube, then moved between Cas' open legs and started to prepare him. After only a few moments Cas stopped him with a hand on his wrist.

"Enough. Dean, please," he begged, his breathing harsh and ragged. Dean regarded him for a second before he nodded, lubed himself up and positioned his cock at Cas' entrance. Since the other man was still pretty tight he pushed in slowly and gave Cas time to adjust to his size. But soon Cas started moving his hips, urging Dean to go faster, who happily obliged. He thrust slowly at first but Cas insisted on a faster pace, moving against him until they found a rhythm that worked for them both and had them panting and moaning in pleasure in no time.

When Dean felt that he was close to his peak he reached between their bodies to stroke Castiel's cock, making the other man arch up at the touch. After only a few strokes he felt Cas clenching around him as he came on their stomachs and the sudden tightness around him made Dean follow only seconds later. Exhausted but happy he collapsed on top of his boyfriend and gave him a sloppy kiss before rolling off him.

"That was amazing," he whispered and Cas responded with another kiss as he snuggled closer.

They made love again later that night. Slow and gentle, taking their time this time. They enjoyed being together like that again and being able to leave all their worries and the mourning behind them now. It was the start of a new chapter in their lives together and the first thing they would do was attending Balthazar's wedding.

"Do we have to go?" Dean asked when they were packing to go to the wedding a few days later.

"Yes, we promised. You promised you would come with me," Cas answered as he closed his suitcase.

"I know. And I will come. For you though, not for him. I don't trust him."

"Dean, he's getting married. What do you expect him to do?" Cas asked quizzically.

"I don't know," Dean admitted and Cas over to him, taking his hands.

"Come on, it'll be fine. Maybe it'll even be fun," he said, pulling his lover closer, giving him a small kiss.

"It'll be full of chick flick moments. It's a wedding," Dean said in an almost derisive voice but Castiel stopped him from saying any more with a look.

"Exactly. It's a wedding, Dean. It'll be romantic," Cas told him and then moved closer so he could whisper in Dean's ear. "And just think. We'll be staying in a nice, luxurious hotel for two nights that Balthazar is paying for."

"I like your way of thinking," Dean said with a smile and now he sounded much more enthusiastic about going to the wedding than before. Cas smiled back at him and then let go of Dean's hands to grab his suitcase and carry it downstairs.

"Cas," Dean called after him and Cas turned around to look at him, putting his suitcase down as Dean stepped up close to him. "I love you," Dean finished, looking into his boyfriends deep blue eyes, which seemed to shine even more brilliantly after Dean's words.

"I love you, too."


End file.
